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Friday, March 29, 2024

What about the real road hazards?

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"They are the new kings of the road."

 

 

After the enactment of Republic Act 10913 otherwise known as the Anti-Distracted Driving Act, which carries a hefty fine of P5,000 for the first offense and up to P20,000 and revocation of the driver’s license for the third offense for using mobile phones and other electronics devices while driving on any public thoroughfare, highway or street in the Philippines, the House of Representatives just ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the reconciled version of another bill concerning road safety—House Bill 6938 and Senate Bill 1971 which seeks to provide special protection of child passengers in motor vehicles.

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According to the explanatory note on the bill, the measure seeks to ensure the safety and welfare of infants and children, defined as any person below 12 years old, and prevent traffic-related deaths and injuries through the use of child restraint systems in motor vehicles.

The proposed measure defines “child restraint system” as a device approved in accordance with standards established by the measure, and capable of accommodating a child occupant in a sitting or supine position. A child restraint system is designed to diminish the risk of injury to the wearer, in the event of a collision or of abrupt deceleration of the vehicle, by limiting the child’s body.

The measure further provides that it is unlawful for the driver of a covered vehicle not to properly secure at all times a child, in a child restraint system while the engine is running or transporting such child unless the child is at least 150 centimeters or 59 inches in height and is properly secured using the regular seat belt.

Moreover, no child shall be allowed to sit in a front seat of a motor vehicle with a running engine or while such child is being transported, unless the child meets the height requirement.

And any driver in violation of these provisions shall be fined P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense, P5,000 and suspension of the driver’s license for a period of one year for the third and succeeding offenses.

Well and good. Anything in furtherance of road safety is most welcome.

However, why do I feel that every time a measure concerning road safety is proposed, it always tend to target four-wheeled vehicles? Why is it that the new kings of the road—the motorcycles, the tricycles and the pedicabs—are often disregarded?

Yesterday morning I passed by a rider with probably his son tucked between him and another woman, probably the kid’s mother, traversing the stretch of what was once referred to as the killer highway—Commonwealth Avenue.

Less than a kilometer away, I passed by a tricycle with a boy sitting at the back of the driver and the sidecar full of passengers, mostly children. What is this tricycle doing on a national road?

Or better yet, aren’t the motorcycle and tricycle the worst ride for children in a 60-kph maximum speed road?

I hope I am wrong but I don’t think anyone in a motorcycle or tricycle can survive the impact of a crash in a 60-kph maximum speed road. These vehicles are not supported by any seatbelt or airbags unlike four-wheeled vehicles. 

And yet, drivers of motorcycles, tricycles and even pedicabs who venture to ply national, provincial, city and municipal roads are the most abusive and arrogant drivers nowadays. They disregard traffic lights, signs and even rules. They don’t extend courtesy to other drivers, cut lanes with total disregard, counterflows at any given occasion as if only they possess the God-given right to any road.

They have in fact, replaced the jeepney drivers as the king of the road. And yet, they could only scratch their heads if they figure in a vehicular accident with you. And that’s only the minimum as you could actually end up shouldering all the damage even if the evidence points to them as the culprit, all because of the stupid interpretation of the law.

As has been the practice of police investigators in a vehicular accident, the blame is always put on the larger vehicle, between a bicycle and a motorcycle,the fault is on the motorcycle; between the motorcycle and a car, the fault is on the latter; and so on and so forth, regardless of which actually is on the wrong side.

Abusive behavior, arrogance, absence of safety features on their vehicles—and yet no law has yet been passed to discipline them, much more ensure the safety of their passengers.

And we—with the bigger ride, with the most restrictions—have to suffer their shortcomings.

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