EVERY now and then we read in the pages of Panay News about road mishaps, some even fatal. Who hasn’t heard of motorcycles crashing against or being crushed by other bigger and faster vehicles? There are many other cases.
In a study conducted by the Department of Health’s Road Safety Program as early as 2003, road accidents in the country ranked fourth on the list of leading causes of death among Filipinos. These accidents would have been prevented had drivers exercised utmost care.
Will the idea of facing stiffer penalties deter drivers from throwing caution to the wind and toying with people’s lives?
If it can, then let there be a law that penalizes criminal negligence on the road. This can be a preventive measure and will hopefully send a strong warning to drivers that criminal negligence is not taken lightly by the law.
We can’t help but recall a bill once filed in the Senate seeking to impose severe punishment on negligent drivers who figure in accidents. What happened to it?
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 culture by putting in place more serious punishment for road maniacs who have no regard for the safety of pedestrians and passengers.
