THE numbers recently released by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Highway Patrol Group are concerning to say the least. There were at least 4,029 motorcycle crashes from January to April this year, compared to 8,342 incidents in the entire 2022.
By “crashes,” the police mean collisions that resulted in considerable damage to the vehicles involved and death or injury to the occupants. Small incidents leading to vehicle scratches and dents and bruises in motorists are most often unreported, but should total more than the crashes, meaning in the thousands.
The sudden proliferation of motorcycles on our roads was occasioned by the onset of easy credit during the past years. Couple this with the never-ending problem of traffic congestion and mobility woes in the city and you’ll necessarily have thousands of commuters wanting to move around in the ubiquitous motorcycle.
‘Motorcycle users weave through traffic in wild abandon, honk their loud horns to signal that they are coming and you should give way…’
The dimensions of the motorcycle enables its user to do lane-splitting and lane-filtering, which are two different things. In lane-splitting, the motorcyclist maneuvers the two-wheel vehicle in the small space in between cars. Lane-filtering is when groups of motorcyclists use every space available to move in front of four-wheel vehicles during a red light.
Lane-splitting is illegal as it is dangerous, both for the motorcyclist, motorists and pedestrians crossing the street. That is why there is LTO Administrative Order AHS-2008-015 which states, “A driver/rider shall observe the rule and on one lane per one vehicle only. Lane splitting is prohibited along a road or a highway. Motorcycles or scooters shall not operate on sidewalks.”
Although lane-splitting and filtering are considered illegal, traffic enforcers tolerate this for practical reasons: If motorcycles on the road would line up like cars whenever traffic flow stops or slows down, the queue would become too long to manage.
This official tolerance, however, has the disastrous effect of motorcyclists believing that they are an “exempted” lot. Thus, many of them abuse the privilege. Motorcycle users weave through traffic in wild abandon, honk their loud horns to signal that they are coming and you should give way, and use the space between the outer lane and the sidewalk without regard to pedestrians. Many also violate one-way signs, speed limits, overtaking rules, no parking and other regulations.
Lately, the group AltMobility PH underscored the need to focus on design and policies to ensure the safety of roads for both commuters and motorists. While they support the HPG’s plan to initiate seminars for riders to instill discipline and respect for rules, the group’s director Ira Cruz said this is not enough to address the increase in the number of road crashes.
“This is not only an issue of discipline and care. Among the causes of crashes are the road designs and whether the policies are still updated,” Cruz said, adding that riders are forced to shift to other lanes due to road defects and obstruction.
We note Cruz’ observation but still maintain that the Department of Public Works and Highways’ road safety standards may not be perfect but they are adequate.
The bigger part of the problem is caused by undisciplined motorcyclists and the traffic enforcers’ tolerance of their uncouth road behavior, their misplaced sense of entitlement. For this, many pay with their lives and limbs, but we propose that authorities strictly enforce the law and let them pay with jail time, if such is warranted under the circumstances.
