After two long months of summer vacation million of students from primary to tertiary levels returned to school yesterday. As expected, the opening of classes coupled with heavy downpour caused traffic jams in most cities in National Capital Region (NCR). Hubby would be late for sure if he didn’t adjust his time. He hates losing great deal of time because of traffic jam so again, while we were having our dinner yesterday, he expressed how much he wanted to buy a motorcycle. I know how flexible motorcycle is in traffic but I really hate the idea.
May be riding a motorcycle has many advantages but for me safety always comes first. Though hubby promised to buy a motorcycle helmet, still it’s not enough to convince me. Hubby said he would be very responsible. He may be will but how about other motorists and riders who turn into monsters once they hit the roads? I know I am so negative but you can’t blame me. Motorcycle accident in the country occurs on almost daily basis. I see it on the news everyday.
I am glad though that the government continue to launch road safety programs. On May 11 last year, President Benigno Aquino III launched the Decade of Action for Road Safety through a presidential decree. The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 is a United Nations program that was launched in more than 100 countries. The program encouraged the governments around the world to develop national plans for the Decade, as a complement to any current national road safety strategy which may be in place. The global plan aims to halt or reverse the predicted increase in road traffic fatalities around the world through five key areas:
- Road Safety Management
- Safer Roads and Mobility
- Safer Vehicles
- Safer Road Users
- Post-crash Response
If the goals are already met, then may be I can allow hubby to buy a motorcycle.
Yeah motorcycle is just so dangerous specially in our country we don’t have a dedicated lane for motorcycles which they have in our neighboring countries. If we have that in our roads specially in our highways, I will use a motorcycle too!
Same here, I really don’t recommend motorcycle but there’s one, a driver in the cab told me, for like 20 years of driving his motorcycle he did not encounter any mishaps. So I guess it is really depend in how you safety driving with it, it always depends on the person. I guess those drivers who encountered accidents in motorcycle are not a defensive driving not only you can apply this in motorcycle but also in a four wheel drive too.
I’ve been involved with various road safety programs that are being conducted by my office, in collaboration with other line agencies in the Metro. It is good to see that many LGUs are actively participating in the call.
Riding motorcycles in the Philippines, specially in Metro Manila is both hell and heaven. We may have defensive driving riders but the question is, do 4-wheel drivers reciprocate? In most cases, they don’t care. There is also the lack of supporting policies and infrastructures for vulnerable road users like motorcycles. If we have, they are not being implemented strictly.
Riding a 2-wheel vehicle is not doubt a fuel, money and time saver. It takes lesser parking space and road lane. 4-stroke bikes have lesser gas emission compared to other vehicles. They bring us faster to our destination.
If only all types of road users render necessary respect to each other, our roads will be a safe place.