Mayhem in our streets, deaths in our highways

NOW that road rage is on the rise and getting to one’s destination is slower than ever in the Metro Manila area plus the spate of deadly accidents and brazen traffic violations witnessed on a daily basis, it may be time to analyze what is going on.

Let us start with accidents, which from the latest data in the Metro Manila area derive from 2022 when 72,000 accidents occurred, which was significantly higher than the previous year. These accidents resulted in 11,096 deaths of mostly young people below the age of 29. Add to that the injuries that the survivors carry for the rest of their lives, making some of them persons with disabilities. The above figures are reflected in a larger way nationwide where the last figure I saw was 118,906 road accidents in 2018.

Most accidents (as in eight to nine out of 10) have been attributed to human error. These errors are cited as negligence, distraction and physical challenges arising in loss of control. Going further, these causes have their underlying factors like drunk driving, bad overtaking, bad turning, texting, overspeeding — which are all aspects of negligence, distraction and the resulting physical challenges. Losing brakes is one perennial excuse which, if given the antecedents of negligence in not checking brakes regularly and overspeeding, would cause them not to work when needed.

Then there are the attitudes that come along with drivers where pedestrians are given no right of way because a motorist has a vehicle and is assumed to be a priority. On the other hand, we have pedestrians who jaywalk against the rules of traffic lights or pedestrian crosswalks. They like to dart across traffic and get away with it because no traffic enforcer controls them until the day they get unlucky and tragedy befalls them. In general, there is very little discipline demonstrated or enforced in our roads.

Road accident deaths are the 13th cause of death here, which is really a list of useless, preventable deaths if only those on the road obeyed the rules. Actually, many do not know the rules for driving safely. They insist on using their gadgets while driving, jaywalkers keep challenging the traffic safety rules for pedestrians and then there is the general adrenalin push to hurry, both against the laws of physics.

The high number of vehicles, pedestrians, even animals, plus obstructions on roads and sidewalks are already accidents waiting to happen.

Early on, jeepneys, the public transport that came in the wake of World War 2, were considered contributors to road accidents by stopping abruptly in the middle of the road to accommodate passengers, speeding, poor maintenance, thus resulting in their incurring “no brakes” accidents. With the advent of motorcycles, the jeepneys were displaced as the primary violators of road traffic rules and even common courtesy. The result is a high proportion of motorcycle accidents with the same explanations — negligence of maintenance, distraction and physical challenges that they cannot overcome because it is too late. Aside from that there are so many motorcycles that they fill the roads helter-skelter with other vehicles, and worse, use their maneuverability to break traffic rules. They do not keep to one lane, they do not feel that traffic lights apply to them, and they weave dangerously among bigger vehicles which any mistake while doing so could result in tragedy. This goes for bikers, too, who feel that their lightness and maneuverability excuse them from traffic rules.

Worse seems to be happening in our highways where tricycles (a form of motorcycle passenger vehicle) are proliferating on national roads, meeting bigger and faster vehicles. In undisciplined conditions, these encounters bring tragic results. Daily reports of such horrific accidents between bigger vehicles and tricycles are recorded with deaths, injuries, loss of vehicles and other costs, which are life-changing for those concerned. Whole families have been killed in such accidents. Many children have been involved in these accidents, suffering death and injury.

The reasons why we are in this road traffic mess is that there are too many of us, too little well-designed and maintained infrastructure, and very little driver education and discipline along with not enough traffic enforcers to control the mayhem. And, crucially, not enough public transport that is available and effective. Thus, one cannot blame the public for taking to cars and motorcycles or anything that can take them to their destinations when public transport is inadequate.

My ultimate example of poor

infrastructure management is the Palispis Highway to Baguio, where there are too many vehicles on the narrow roads. It is a heavily used area for transportation, yet the provision for width along the sides have been used up by junk shops, car repair shops, small stores, eateries, houses or large parked vehicles and everything else, including as dumping ground of Department of Public Works and Highways debris.

One mistake in overtaking, one indulgence in overspeeding and the frequent presence of overloaded vehicles are accidents waiting to happen on this highway. Yet no traffic enforcer is visible, no one is sanctioned for traffic violations. Traffic is heavy both ways. Overloaded trucks litter the highways and cause delays, impatience and finally the deadly desire to overtake in these conditions takes over, resulting in tragic accidents. This road needs rule enforcement and better highway conditions.

Driving education is badly needed for drivers of cars, trucks, vans and motorcycles. Apparently, driving schools are not patronized enough by people who aspire to drive. They learn the rudiments of driving practically on their own and think it is enough without giving themselves the essentials of road courtesy, safe driving behavior, vehicle maintenance, the appropriate use of roads, vehicles and the particulars of the environment they are in. For example, on mountain roads ascending vehicles have the priority, something lost on most people who use them who are from the lowlands. Ignoring that one rule has brought on many accidents.

All in all, we are on the road to tragedy if no rules are enforced on our roads. I do not mean the underhanded police or security guards lurking in some of our roads who wait for a mistake to extort. These extortionists, too, are part of the mismanagement of our public roads. We need rationalization of rules for the vehicles and drivers, and pedestrians on our roads. Or, be prepared for more horrific accidents and their deadly results.

In looking back at why we have come to this pass, it was the utter lack of vision about our future needs as a large population, the absence of political will to plan and make it a reality, as well as the indifference to the need for public service that comes down to us from the past leadership. So far, the future looks like it will be more of the same while legislators argue about matters far removed from the public interest.