EARLY this week a bus fell into a ravine in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental. Four passengers died and eight others were injured. According to initial police investigation, the driver lost control of the speeding bus.
Just this Sunday three persons were injured in collision of motorcycles in Mambusao, Capiz.
We’ve actually lost count of the number of vehicular accidents in Western Visayas since January this year. Who hasn’t heard of motorcycles crashing against or being crushed by other bigger and faster vehicles? There are many other cases involving other types of motor vehicles.
In a study conducted by the Department of Health’s Road Safety Program as early as 2003, road accidents ranked fourth on the list of leading causes of death among Filipinos. These would have been prevented had drivers exercised utmost care.
The culture of carelessness among drivers is evident in accidents that leave many people dead or hurt. We need to put an end to this. But how?
The idea is rather simple: drivers must be mindful of others. This is in fact the basic premise of the Anti-Distracted Driving Act which took effect in 2017. Let us be clear on this. A person is not allowed to use a mobile phone or any communication gadget while driving or even while the vehicle is temporarily stopped at a traffic light. The driver may only use a mobile device upon pulling over on the side of the road or when making emergency calls, and the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the law defines “emergency” as a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment.
A person driving a vehicle may also make a call provided that he or she is using the phone’s hands-free function and that the device is not within the line of sight set four inches above the dashboard. The IRR can’t be clearer than these.
Of course, there are sanctions for violators. Ah yes, the sanctions. Will the idea of facing severe punishment deter negligent drivers from throwing caution to the wind and toying with people’s lives?
By putting in place more serious punishment for negligent drivers and road maniacs who have no regard for the safety of pedestrians and passengers, we may be able to fight off this culture of carelessness on our roads.
We must send a strong signal to drivers that criminal negligence is not taken lightly by the law. Ah, there we go. Our road safety rules and regulations must be enforced without fear or favor.
