Motoring Today Column

Sep 25, 2019

Enough can never be said about the importance of road safety, despite having said that, again the big topic last week after a private truck fell off a ravine in South Cotabato, killing 21 and injuring 14 passengers.

The elements that got the attention of the President were - the number of deaths, and the fact that they were in a private cargo truck that should not have been carrying that many people to what was believed to be an excursion.

The President was so affected by that many lives taken because of irresponsible motoring that he also ordered the requirements of a driver's license to be reviewed. Specifically, President Duterte said that driving a motor vehicle should require a minimum IQ level.

The statement that a driver's license should require a minimum IQ level got me by surprise. Is an applicant's minimum IQ level not determined by his or her answers in the written examination? That is, if he or she did take the written examination.

Now I am really worried.

If that exam did not indicate the minimum IQ level of the driver, can we assume that the driver of the car speeding past me may not have the minimum IQ level?

Should we be scared (not only concerned) about the IQ level of the driver trying to cut our lane? If I don't give in, perchance, will he hold a grudge and bully me all the way?

And now on the issue of a private truck used as a recreation vehicle.

This practice of private cargo trucks being used to ferry people to excursions or weddings or family affairs should be given some attention by the authorities.

It is an open secret in subdivisions that private trucks are "borrowed" by its drivers from the owners and used that way. I know that from the house staff of friends and relatives who ask permission to go on extended dayoffs because they are going out of town. They will go with family or friends on an excursion outside Metro Manila because a truck driver (who is likely a friend-of-a-friend) has offered to bring them there and back for a small fee.

There seems to be nothing wrong with this and it even makes the truck driver look like a kind friend extending his services and borrowing a truck for the trip.

The passengers, all too eager for a chance to get out of the metro, will not mind the many inconveniences of the trip. One is that they will have to sit on the truck bed or bring their own chairs. Two, the trip will take more time than usual because the driver will avoid the highways where a policeman can cite him for ferrying people that way.

But on top of those inconveniences, the passengers do not realize that should there be an accident - like the one that just happened - who will pay for the medical, or burial, expenses?

Know your city's speed limit

Now you can get to know how fast you can go within your city limits. Check www.dahandahansadaan.ph which was launched last week by ImagineLaw, a public interest law organization advocating road safety.

The new website - "Dahan-DahanSaDaan" - is a database of all speed limit ordinances in the Philippines.

ImagineLaw Executive Director Sophia San Luis said the website supports the government's efforts to improve road safety.

Two months ago, ImagineLaw signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to assist in ensuring speed limit enforcement nationwide.

The website features the Philippine map with color-coded pins that indicate the existence, comprehensiveness, and effectiveness of the LGU's speed limit ordinance.

Green pins show LGU's which have enacted speed limit ordinances based on road classification.

Yellow pins represent LGU's with speed limits that are not based on their local road conditions and do not cover all roads.

Red pins , taking more than half of the map, are LGU's without speed limit ordinances.

Current data gathered by the organization shows that only 12 LGU's in the Philippines have comprehensive and effective speed limit ordinances.

Majority of the LGU's do not have speed limit ordinances, while 249 have ordinances that are either ineffective as they do not classify roads in accordance with RA 4136, or incomplete, as they only cover a few roads.

Happy Motoring!!!

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