Indonesian Family of Four Killed While Taking Roadside Selfie

This article originally appeared on VICE Indonesia.

For many of us living in this increasingly digital age, it’s hard to imagine going a day without snapping a selfie. But some people are willing to take extreme risks for that perfect photo, even if it means endangering their own lives. On Sunday, Oct. 27, a family of four traveling on a single motorcycle lost their lives when they paused on the side of the road to take a selfie.

Two men were speeding around a curve in a truck, when they spotted the family taking a selfie. Not having enough time to brake, they crashed into the family.

“We have six total casualties here. The two truck drivers were injured, while the four family members on the motorcycle died,” Muhammad Kasyfi, local Chief of traffic police, said.

Asmawan, an eyewitness at the scene who goes by one name, said he reminded the family not to stop on the side of the steep road as he passed by.

“There were four people on the motorcycle: two children and two adults. An entire family. They stopped to take a selfie, probably because you could see the sea. I told them not to stop for too long because it’s dangerous, then I went home,” Asmawan told local media.

When he heard there had been an accident, he returned to the scene.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time a selfie attempt has ended with death in Indonesia. On New Year’s Eve 2018, Joko Susanto and his twin daughters, both aged two, slipped into a river when they were posing for a selfie. Susanto’s wife and two other children jumped into the 3-metre deep water in an attempt to save them, managing to rescue the twins. The father and the eldest child died.

At Punta Prima beach in Spain, three Englishmen plunged from a 9-metre-high railed ledge while taking a selfie, killing one and injuring the other two.

Less than a month ago in India, where the highest number of selfie deaths occur, a family drowned after taking a selfie by a dam.

In response to the high number of selfie-related deaths and injuries, both India and Indonesia have begun implementing no-selfie zones at certain high-risk tourist hotspots.

A study by the American National Institute of Health found that between 2011 and 2017, 259 people worldwide lost their lives mid-selfie. Seventy of them drowned, while 48 fell to their deaths. The study put 182 of the victims between the ages of 10 and 29 and noted that men were three times more likely to die by selfie than women.

“Selfies are themselves not harmful, but the human behavior that accompanies selfies is dangerous. Individuals need to be educated regarding certain risky behaviors and risky places where selfies should not be taken,” the study reads.