Road rage, hit and run, reckless driving -
we’ve all heard about it, seen it on the news or worse even experienced it.
Driving in the Philippines is not just a physical game. It tests you mentally,
emotionally and yes even spiritually as you need God’s grace to survive the
Manila rush hour.
I assume I’m not the only one whose Dad
turns into the hulk when driving along EDSA at 7pm on a Friday. We’ve also been
guilty of beating the red light, texting while driving or even falling asleep
while on the wheel – trivial everyday things that seem inconsequential until we
hear of the latest road catastrophe on the news.
But let’s face it; commuters like
us also have our share of blame for at least half of the traffic accidents that
happen daily. I mean, that barricade in the middle of the hi-way isn’t an
invitation to test our leap frogging skills and that overpass was not built to
serve as shade from the sun while we play patintero
with the cars along EDSA.
More than a safe driving
education course, I suggest that road safety – this includes proper driving and
correct pedestrian behavior be taught in high school for junior and senior
students as an elective or under P.E. class. Doing so inculcates the value of
responsible road usage to the youth at an early age not just for future drivers
but for all roads users including pedestrians and commuters as a well.
At the end of the day, I believe
that it all boils down to attitude, no matter how much training you’ve undergone,
seminars you’ve attended or exams you’ve passed - if road users are not
responsible enough then there’s nothing more we can do to minimize these misfortunes
on the road.
Photo Credits To:
Checked!
ReplyDeletePost #4 - 20/20
Good Job!