Gov’t: No more windshield obstructions by Saturday
Motorists, both of private and public utility vehicles, have until Friday to clear their windshields of all obstructions to their full view of the road before the government fully implements the Anti-Distracted Driving Act on Saturday, May 27.
Law enforcement agencies
decided to put off for a week the crackdown on distractions to drivers as they have yet to come up with uniform rules on implementation of the law that took effect last Thursday.
Officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG), and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) met Friday afternoon to iron out problem s in the implementation of RA 10913 after receiving criticisms and questions from the public.
“We have agreed to give all motorists of private and public utility vehicles (PUVs) one week from last Friday to clear their line of sight and dashboards,” said LTFRB board member and spokesperson Aileen Lizada on Friday.
Lizada said they will release this week a clearer set of guidelines for law enforcers on apprehending drivers who use their phones and other gadgets while driving, stopped or stopped at red lights, or in heavy traffic.
Transport officials said dashcams or navigational devices are allowed but these should be attached to the rearview mirror of the vehicle or on the dashboard.
Dashcams are also allowed on motorcycles.
Some members of the public questioned the ban on accessories not included in RA 10913 but Lizada said these have long been prohibited under the DOTr’s Joint Administrative Order 2014-01.
Under the order, “motor vehicles operating with defective/improper/ unauthorized accessories, devices, equipment, and parts” will be apprehended.
Lizada said these include stuffed toys, head-bobbing toy animals, rosaries, images, figurines, and curtains, which are mostly found in jeepneys and other types of PUVs.
These will also be banned starting this weekend and the LTFRB is set to issue a memorandum regarding these items, she said.
“LTFRB will come out with the proper memorandum circular to take out accessories in PUVs,” she said.
Signboards in jeepneys and UV Express vehicles shall also be prohibited as they block the drivers’ line of sight, Lizada said.
Destinations and routes, she said, should be specified on the sides of the vehicles.
“We hope that our drivers and commuters will follow rules on loading and unloading areas,” she said.
The case, however, differs for buses as the LTFRB has yet to decide if signboards on buses should be removed. “We need to have a thorough discussion with the board,” she said.
Other activities that can distract drivers such as applying make-up, reading books, or any other similar acts fall under “Reckless Driving” of RA 4136 or the “Land Transportation and Traffic Code,” Lizada said.
34 traffic deaths daily The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that traffic accidents kill 34 Filipinos daily and are the main cause of death among young people aged 15 to 19.
Stressing the people’s right to road safety, Jocelyn Yambao Franco, president of Safe Kids Worldwide Philippines (SWKP), said that worldwide, an estimated 1.25 million people die and over 50 million are injured in road crashes annually.
By 2020, road traffic crashes are expected to increase by 80 percent in low and middle-income countries, she said.
Dr. Benjamin Lane, Health Systems Team Leader of World Health Organization (WHO) Philippines, said reducing speed limit even by just one kilometer per hour will save lives.
Jesus de la Fuente, executive director of SKWP, said, “A great portion of our road traffic crashes, especially those that are fatal, are caused by speeding and it has already been proven that a 5 percent cut in average speed can result in a 30 percent reduction in the number of fatal road traffic crashes. This is what we hope to achieve,” De la Fuente said.
“Government data show that transport-related crashes in the country have increased sharply from 15,572 in 2014 to 24,565 in 2016,” he said.
Mark de Leon, assistant secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), said they are set to implement various programs to make roads safer for everyone.
“We are proposing the installation of speed limit devices in all our public utility vehicles as well as dashcams and CCTVs for the protection of not only our riding public but also pedestrians. DOTr will make sure our roads are safer,” he added.
Local government executives from Quezon City, Parañaque City, and Pasay City also pledged their commitment to the Save Lives# Slow Down campaign by enacting appropriate ordinances in their cities and barangays to implement speed limits. (With a report from Chito A. Chavez)