(Originally published in the June 16 to 22, 2013 issue of the Baguio Chronicle ---
a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines ---
by Sly L. Quintos, Associate Editor.)
I TIMED my bicycle commuting this week with the school opening to again symbolize my private protest against the government’s inability to effectively address air pollution which has rendered Baguio and its neighboring town of La Trinidad as no longer conducive to recreational biking and commuting.
The worsening traffic situation is another. Until now, all the government is capable of are purely “experimental” solutions.
Let me touch also on the prevailing negative car culture.
Motorists remain the greatest hazard on the roads. Aggressive, hostile and anti-cyclist attitude continue. Many motorists mistakenly believe that their possession of a driver's license gives them a superior claim --- if not sole and exclusive ownership --- of the road over the cyclist. Such is the daily disparity on the road in a country of car culture like the Philippines and of a city like Baguio and the suburbs.
Practically nothing separates the biker from a hostile driver, totally unprotected, not even by the government. Unlike the biker, there is the windshield, the roll bars, the bumpers, the fenders and all those metals (sometimes including guns) to protect the driver from his fellow hostile drivers.
Because of their size, speed (even at low speed) and weight, cars carry an extremely high potential for causing lethal damage when negligently operated.
But those gas-burning behemoths cannot always be avoided and for cyclists to know how to cope with cars can be a matter of survival. Whether you are in the right or not, if you have too-close an encounter with a car, you lose. The car is unlikely to sustain any damage worse than a few dents while the cyclist will get some nasty injuries or damages.
Since the cyclist's life is on the line in traffic, it is a must that he becomes as skillful as possible, makes judgments as fairly and control the situation as best as he can. He must not be timid and passive or submissive and easily gets intimated. He must be brave and assertive but without being reckless. Learning to ride safely in traffic is an essential skill.
To date, the city government and our transport group leaders are yet to come up from their own initiative with long-term plans to mitigate aggressive or hostile driving habits and encourage courteous and safe road-sharing attitude among the motorists.
And when we say courteous and safe road-sharing attitude, it means the very basic driving habit of reducing speed when encountering cyclists, no tailgating and recognizing the hazards that cyclists may face and give them space.
I am yet to meet a motorist who would agree with me that bicycles are also considered vehicles and that cyclists should be given the appropriate right of way and should be allowed extra time to traverse intersections.
I am yet to meet a motorist who would agree with me to be considerate, scanning for cyclists in traffic and at intersections while blasting horn in close proximity to cyclists is a no-no and to be on the lookout for cyclists when opening doors.
I am yet to meet a motorist who would agree with me that when passing, he must leave at least four feet between him and the cyclist.
The Philippines remain as the undisputed Text Messaging Capital of the World.In 2003, the average Filipino mobile subscriber sent an average of 195 text messages per month or about 7 messages a day). In 2005, Filipinos sent on average 250 million text messages a day at 33 million subscribers. In 2006, Filipinos sent 350 to 400 million texts messages a day at 35 million users. In 2007, Filipinos sent a staggering 1.39 billion text messages at roughly 50 million users. In 2009, the trend continues at about 73 million subscribers. Worldwide, the annual total of text messages surged from 57 billion in 2005 to 1.8 trillion in 2010.
The advent of texting also saw the advent of texting while driving. I call it driving while “intexticated”. DWI for short.
And because text messaging combines visual, cognitive and manual aspects, it is one of the biggest distractions that a driver can encounter. Driving while “intexticated” has become a potential threat to cyclists as well as to the pedestrians.
A research conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute showed that texting while driving basically doubles a driver's reaction time and makes the driver less able to respond to sudden roadway dangers such as a vehicle up front making a sudden stop. Accordingly, reaction times slowed from one to two seconds in the absence of texting to three to four seconds while texting. The study also found texting impaired the ability of drivers to maintain proper lane position and a constant speed.
According to textinganddrivingsafety.com, texting while driving is one of the leading causes of traffic injuries and death across North America. In 2011 alone, 23 percent or auto collisions (or 1.3 million crashes) involved cell phones.
In the Philippines, the Automobile Association Philippines or AAP said the use of mobile phones while driving is the 12th most common cause of traffic accidents in the country.
Meanwhile, we already have House Bill No. 4917 that prohibits drivers, both of private and public vehicles, from placing and receiving calls and composing and receiving text messages while driving. Those who will be caught violating the regulations could be charged with six months of imprisonment and fines ranging from 200 up to 100,000 pesos.
According to the Automobile Association Philippines or AAP, Manila, Makati, Caloocan City and Cebu have banned the practice on paper. But faithful implementation of the law is another.
In parting, remember that there is no such thing as SAFE texting and driving. If you text, don’t drive. If you drive, don’t text.
And if you are the passenger in a public transport, do not hesitate to call the attention of the driver. Be brutally frank or shockingly but courageously honest about. Be ready to meet opposition or resentment.*
No comments:
Post a Comment