Reckless drivers

BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – Walking up Bonifacio Road here a few days ago, I was nearly hit by a speeding taxicab had I not stepped away on time. The driver just sneered and sped away. Another instance, while driving to nearby La Trinidad, Benguet around 9 p.m., a public utility van nearly collided with my vehicle after the young driver, who was apparently drunk drove straight into my lane. The idiot insisted he was on the right lane.

There have been a lot of times when I nearly met accidents in these two areas owing to stupid and reckless taxi and jeep drivers. They suddenly veer without using signal lights and don’t follow traffic lights. They don’t stop or slow down even if pedestrians are crossing the street. Of course, there are drivers of expensive and spunky vehicles who have their share of arrogance whose drivers expect you to always give in to them.

Out of intersections, taxi drivers suddenly appear and try to insert their vehicles with those along the highway at fast speeds. If you don’t have the presence of mind to brake or to steer away, you could be in for a crash.

When you shout at them for reckless driving, they yell back saying you are nakapoy to mean you are slow or not a good enough driver. They are the kings of the road. And when they meet accidents, they angrily insist they are not at fault.

If it could be seen that they are clearly to blame, they plead like puppies to those they collided with and insist the victim pay for their daily wage on days their vehicle would be at the shop for repairs considering they have families to feed.

All year round, I have seen these road monsters, most of them PUV drivers who drive illegal colorum vehicles. They pick and let out passengers in the middle of the road blocking traffic. It is a wonder why they are not being apprehended or accosted by law enforcement authorities who could hardly be seen, even along Session Road.

If there is mayhem along Session, it is partly because there are no police there who should be seeing to it that traffic lights are not being violated by drivers and pedestrians.

I could enumerate more horror stories. Suffice to say, it is a welcome development that Sen. Chiz Escudero is seeking to increase the criminal liability of negligent, stupid, idiotic and reckless rivers of public transportation under the Revised Penal Code in light of a string of road tragedies around the country.

In Senate Bill No. 365 Escudero, the legislator wanted Article 365 of the penal code amended to bring to 20 years the maximum jail term of erring public transport drivers.

Escudero said the penalties provided under Article 365 may no longer work with the way public transports, especially buses, have lightly treated their obligation under existing laws.

From the existing penalty of arresto mayor to prision correcional in its medium period, or from one month to four years and two months, Escudero is pushing for tighter penalties against offenders.

SBN 2095 proposes to penalize criminal negligence by common carriers with imprisonment ranging from four months and one day to six months to 12 years in case of injury and depending on the extent. In case of death, Escudero said penalty should range from 12 years to 20 years jail term.

“Recent road tragedies show how drivers have become reckless and irresponsible in the conduct of their duties. They seem to disregard the statutory policy to bring their passengers safely as far as human care and foresight can provide, using utmost diligence and caution,” Escudero said.

According to Escudero, the bill seeks to provide a preventive policy to address recklessness of drivers, which has been one of the leading causes of deaths among Filipinos.