Senseless lives lost on the roads

Yes, there is a law that stipulates in plain and simple words that there are speed limits to be observed when driving a vehicle. But heck, who exactly wants to follow these. Driving, or crawling, on EDSA and C-5 can make these speed limits irrelevant.

Under Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, you may only drive a car (or a motorcycle) on provincial roads at 80 kilometers per hour. Trucks and buses may do at only 50 kilometers per hour.

The law on city driving stipulates driving speed limits of 40 kilometers per hour for cars and motorcycles, and 30 kilometers per hour for trucks and buses. In the late evenings when traffic is light, this is snail pace. But during the peak traffic hours, you’re lucky to even pass the 20-mark on the odometer.

What I’m driving at is that no one really minds the speed limits set by the law. Especially when you’ve paid an arm and a leg to use the Skyway or the newly rehabilitated and widened North Luzon Expressway, driving at about 100 km/hr would be more the norm than the exception.

High cost of road accidents

Infractions on driving speeding limits are the least of the Filipino’s problems these days. However, our roads have become virtual killing fields, having claimed at least 624 lives already in the first half of the year, compared to last full year’s record of 573.

Last year also, reported road accidents rose 28.3 percent to 14,794 from 11,532 in 2007. Should unreported road accidents be included, this figure could easily be nine times higher.

If these mishaps are given a value, the transportation and communications department has estimated it at $1.9 billion or P105 billion, equivalent to roughly 2.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Clearly, it’s an amount that can no longer be ignored.

These road accidents are grim reminders of unnecessary medical costs, wasted resources and time, unfortunate loss of lives and limbs, useless property damage and incalculable pain grief and suffering for the victims and their families.

‘Rolling coffins’

If we dissect the types of vehicles involved in road accidents, trucks come out as the biggest contributor, followed by buses, jeepneys and taxis. The dilapidated condition of most trucks is a worrying problem, and brake malfunctions are a favorite reason for many accidents.

Data from three years ago already showed that 60 percent of the 250,000 cargo-bearing trucks are more than a decade old, and chances are, would still be running today. Not only do these pose safety risks, these are also likely to break down more often, and are therefore more costly to maintain.

And we’re not even talking about the aggravation that these old vehicles contribute to smoke pollution in the cities and open country roads since owners of these vehicles will be less inclined to spend on regular maintenance and engine calibrations.

Just recently, there was news that several 10-year-old trucks discarded from other countries had just been brought into the country. In a few years, they will be part of the “rolling coffins” that bring death and destruction on our roads.

The man (or woman) behind the wheel

Of course, the biggest reason for road accidents is still human error, which in most cases is brought about by drivers who are too tired or sleepy from long hours at the wheel. Some also lack proper nutrition, which affects their judgment when driving.

It is common knowledge that most trucking companies hire drivers on commission basis depending on the number of trips they make and sometimes, on the value of products that they move. Often, these trips are in the late evenings to early mornings, and if a driver is not physically or mentally in the right condition, the risks are amplified.

Public utility vehicles are also mostly manned by drivers that are paid on commission basis or base on the number of trips. If they are not trying to hustle other buses for passengers, they are overstepping on the gas pedal to get to their destination as quickly as possible.

There are also those who are not fit to drive, and yet are allowed to get behind a driver’s seat because of a lax or defective driving licensing system. Many of those who have a driver’s license are not aware of a good number of traffic rules and regulations.

Death on two wheels

Motorcycle accidents, however, are now the leading cause of mortality. In 2006, data showed that of the 122 motorcycles involved in an accident, 23.6 percent resulted in death. The previous year, out of the total 11,425 accidents recorded, 24 percent or 2,798 involved motorcycles.

Such statistics point to the possibility that fatalities from motorcycle accidents could easily double in ten years time if nothing is done. Motorcycles are now the third most registered vehicles next to cars.

While strict compliance of helmet use is vital, motorcycle drivers as well as other drivers of other road vehicles need to be aware of the road etiquette involving motorcycle driving. Just as four-wheel drivers need to respect the rights of two-wheel drivers, the latter should also be aware of their responsibilities.

Wake up call

The latest statistics on road accidents tells us that various government agencies involved in road transport and traffic management should, aside from ensuring that traffic rules and regulations are enforced, look at other long-standing problems involving drivers who work at night or on extended hours. Compensation system for these drivers-for-hire has to be reviewed and corrected.

A massive information and education campaigns about basic road regulations, starting at school levels, must be sustained. And, of course, it goes without saying that only those who really deserve a driver’s license should get one. –Rey Gamboa (The Philippine Star)