NU6 Paper 4
MOTORCYCLE
ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, FATALITIES, & CRIMINAL ACTS:
PREVENTION IS A MUST!
By: R090205 (CTG)
Motorcycles, nowadays, are very visible on the roads. There are so many people using motorcycle as mode of their transportation. Usage of motorcycles is very rampant due to practical and minimal investment and less consumption of gasoline compared to cars. People tend to buy their own motorcycle because it is much cheaper, faster, and convenient than commuting.
Before, jeepneys were called "hari ng kalsada," which then was replaced by the proliferation of FX taxis in the late '90s and now, the swarming of motorcycles on the road is very obvious, thus, for me, making it the new "hari ng kalsada," figuratively and literally. Figuratively because motorcycle riders tend to swerve and change lanes anytime and anywhere they want as if they own the road, and literally because usage of motorcycles is undeniably increasing.
The increasing number of motorcycle entails also the increasing number of road accidents involving motorcycles. Most of these accidents cause fatalities to those motorcycle riders due to various factors. First, motorcycle riders tend to over speed like they are flying. Second, motorcycles are very susceptible to accidents because a little amount of bump from other cars or even other motorcycle can cause the riders to easily be thrown out and can cause serious damages, and lastly, most riders tend to ignore the prevailing Republic Act No. 10054, also known as the "Motorcycle Helmet Act" by not wearing any helmet at all or using substandard helmets.
Many have come up with ways to address the abovementioned causes of motorcycle accidents such as the existing 60kph speed limit and motorcycle lane on Commonwealth Avenue, which is known to be called "The Killer Highway" because of ts rampant road accidents happening almost everyday. At first, many have criticized the 60kph speed limit as they believe that this is too slow for a very wide (more than six lanes) highway. In the long run, however, it was proven that this speed limit lessen the road accidents. Same as well as the implementation of the motorcycle lane, initially, many have raised their concerns as they believe that this will cause even more problems for motorcycle riders. The author, however, believes that this will limit and discipline the riders to confine them on certain lane, thus will avoid them on swerving from different lanes.
In line with this, the author proposes the following ideas to augment the existing policies:
1. Motorcycle Helmet Mandatory Registration
· Upon the registration of motorcycle every year, all are required to register helmets that will be used. This entails registration of helmets just the same as the registration of the motorcycles. This will improve the mandatory usage of helmet while riding their motorcycles. The riders must treat their helmets just the same treatment with their driver's license. Driver's license is non-transferable and cannot be imitated. The same should be applied for helmets. Riders should take good care of their helmets that they cannot let others to use it just the same with their driver's licenses.
· LTO will require all manufacturers of helmets being sold in the Philippines to provide certain space on the helmet for security tags that will be imprinted upon registration of helmets.
· LTO Helmet Registration Security Tags will be uniquely imprinted that only LTO can do the processing and will be impossible to imitate.
· Traffic Officers will use Helmet Security Scanner to identify the helmet. In this way, Traffic Officers or even Police Officers will be able to suppress criminals who intentionally use for their modus operandi.
· There was a proposal from MMDA to imprint the motorcycle plate number on the helmet to prevent the wrong usage of helmets by many lawless criminals in hiding their identities while doing their unlawful acts; however, this policy was never implemented due to the concerns raised by different motorcycle associations. They believe that this will complicate matters as people may use other helmets which they do not own. The author believes that the said proposal of the MMDA can now be incorporated with the preceding proposals because of more secure process of registration of helmets that would be impossible for anyone to use unregistered helmets.
2. Motorcycle Helmet and Suit With Airbag
· Just like any other cars with airbag features but this time, the author proposes the idea of helmet and suit will have airbag features that will be automatically inflated the moment the sensors sense an appropriate amount of bump on selected parts of the motorcycle.
· LTO will require this airbag feature as a mandatory compliance for all manufacturers of helmet.
Hopefully the abovementioned proposals will someday be implemented to minimize if not totally avoid crimes using motorcycles and prevent unwarranted motorcycle accidents which cause major injuries and worse, fatalities. 4.0 Agree Agree. Tama tama!!!!
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