Every day, accidents ensue the busy streets of our country notably our main thoroughfares in the metro. The large and incessantly building volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic has coincided with the growing frequency of road mishaps.
Currently, accidents involving motorcycles and public transports have topped the charts. And the cause of fatalities range from drunk driving to poor driving habits and even improper vehicular maintenance or hard-headed pedestrians.
Our local governments together with MMDA and law enforcement agencies have implemented several varying solutions to lower the bulging number of road rage casualties. But it seems that they are not enough to keep the numbers down. We are wasting a large amount of time and money just to keep everyone alive on the road.
I live alongside one of the country’s vast highways and perhaps considered to be one of the dangerous roads in Metro Manila. Quirino Highway stretches from Quezon City to Caloocan and Bulacan and now has accommodated more vehicles as observed within my 30 year commute in the area. This highway is a part of my daily life and serious accidents happen here more than I can account for.
I can say that even though there are road regulations and we know the need to follow the traffic schemes implemented, we still continue to ignore and violate them because of several reasons (as per my opinion):
- We lack knowledge of the traffic laws.
- We have less regard about life and more concerned with earning more (that goes for our public transport).
- We like to take “shortcuts” up to the point that we put ourselves in danger.
- Defensive driving is no longer a universal law on the road.
- License acquisition is way too syndicated and easy.
- Most of us are selfish drivers and insensitive to others.
We can enumerate a long list of the possible reasons why road accidents in our nation are way too inevitable but it only boils down to one possible solution and that is observing road discipline.
Let us all remember (especially the drivers) that our privilege to drive on the road does not solely put us into the pleasure of driving the best cars in the world. Once we start that engine and hold on to the steering wheel, lives are at stake that includes our own. Driving holds so much responsibility more than anything else. Taking it slow will surely make everyone safe for starters.
To my fellow Pinoy motorists, drive defensively, buckle up and keep it cool!
