New motor vehicle plates in the offing

The last we heard, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is in the process of designing a new motor vehicle plate to replace the existing one. To begin with, considering the increasing number of automobiles in the country, the new plates would have a combination of four letters and four numbers instead of the current three.

We also learned that the new design would have the plates in similar colors regardless of vehicle type and would contain a myriad of information like, for PUVs, the authorized route, etc., which is for law enforcers to have immediate information at first glance without having to examine a vehicle’s registration papers. There have been many instances that the registration papers of a vehicle are not readily available although it should always be, and it would take time to access needed info. The LTO plate designers believe that with the new design it is easier to discern the colorum vehicles from the legits—and even those that are stolen.  

Observers have some questions about the proposed new plates though, like why have only one color for all types of vehicles? Wouldn’t it be easier to spot “from a mile” vehicles that look like they are for public utility, especially those with markings, supporting plates that are supposed to be for private vehicles and vice versa from the color of their plates alone if they had color codes?

There’s also the issue of having an array of information about the vehicle that can be derived from the face of the plate where the question of “what’s too much and what’s too little” come into play. Some observers are apprehensive about having too many information that the untrained law enforcer may be overwhelmed with.   

Some are also of the opinion that too many letters and too many numbers can make it more difficult for the untrained to take note and even memorize the plate numbers of vehicles involved in cases of hit-and-run and those in crimes. Those who did their math are saying that taking into consideration the projected increase in the sales of brand-new vehicles in the country in the next five years, an addition of a single letter or a single number may suffice to meet the need of producing vehicle plates that are not the same with existing ones. A new combination of four letters and three numbers or three letters and four numbers on the new plates would meet the requirements and at the same time not dazzle people who need to take note of such numbers, especially in emergency cases cited previously.

But indeed the change in the design of our motor vehicles’ registration plates should already be considered, if only for the increasing number vehicle sales, which may have exhausted all possible letter and number combinations and equally important, to more readily recognize colorum vehicles from those that are legitimately plying their routes, and other important considerations for a more organized motoring in the country.  

But implementing registration plate design changes should not be taken lightly considering its costs. And how long again the government has to wait in order to implement another design to correct a not-so-much-thought-of one. Therefore a more careful due diligence is expected before the up-and-coming motor vehicle plate design is finally implemented.

Road safety seminar/workshop at Lourdes School Mandaluyong

Another happy bunch of third and fourth year students came out of the Young Street Smarts (YSS) Road Safety Seminar & Workshop filled with knowledge on how to become safe and responsible road users, which they have promised to share with their family, relatives and friends.

The Lourdes School Mandaluyong was the most recent beneficiary of these free teach-ins on road safety among high school students that are organized and conducted every year by Sunshine Television (STV) and Social Communications Foundation for Asia (Socio Com). 

It was the second time around for this all-boys school, which has the distinction of being the very first where the now much-sought after road safety seminar was held two years ago. The school’s Prefect of Discipline, Mr. Erwin Ines made mention of statistics on road accidents during his remarks prior to the workshop’s start, which he agrees makes this road safety educational campaign among the youth indispensable. The facts and figures he cited included the report of the PNP’s Highway Patrol Group (HPG) indicating that 80 percent of road accidents would have been prevented with majority of these due to driver error.

Another speaker during the seminar was Ms. Tina Marcelino, the general sales manager of Honda Cars Caloocan, one of the supporters of the endeavor through their Honda Cars Caloocan Driving School, cited her own experience of meeting a road accident to accentuate the need to have basic knowledge about road safety.

As always, emcee Tin Gamboa (aka DJ Suzy) of Magic 89.9 was given a rousing welcome by the students, mostly fans and listeners of her early morning program. She’s also the officially designated Motoring Today Youth Ambassador for Road Safety as she hosts the TV show’s Young Street Smart’s portion that dishes out weekly road safety tips and reminders.  

Road Safety Instructor Ms. Yvette delos Santos of Honda Cars Caloocan Driving School once again stirred the interest and imagination of the attending students with basic inputs on Traffic Signs and Road Markings, Right of Way, Road Courtesy, Pedestrian and Commuter Safety and the Dangers of Drunk Driving as these topics were interspersed with exciting and riotous contests conducted by DJ Suzy, which not only provided welcome breaks from the steady stream of information with corresponding valuable prizes donated by participating automobile companies but also served as a review of what have been taken up and a gauge of what has been retained during the teaching exercise.

STV and Socio Com aim to have at least 10 schools in Metro Manila and adjoining provinces to conduct these free seminars/workshops. However, surprisingly many schools although visibly willing, seem to have difficulty to appropriate two hours from their school calendar for this very vital road safety seminar that could very well save the life and limbs of their students and guide them to become safe and responsible road users. Having said that, if you were a parent of a high school student, you can rightfully approach your child’s school PTA and demand that this seminar be held in your child’s school. It is free of charge. We just ask for a convenient venue within the school, for the comfort of the attending students, to conduct it.   

I cannot make mention of Young Street Smarts Road Safety School Tour without giving credit where credit is rightfully due—to the men and women who continuously support the worthy endeavor, namely; MNTC (Manila North Tollways Corporation), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Air21and Chevron Philippines together with the CSR-conscious auto manufacturers and importers who have set aside their friendly competition to join hands in promoting road safety—Asian Carmakers Corporation (BMW), Cats Motors (Mercedes-Benz), The Car Covenant Company, Inc. (Chevrolet), Columbian Auto Car Corporation (Kia), Lexus Manila, Inc., Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, PGA Cars (Audi), and Toyota Motor Philippines.

For school officials, we’ll be knocking on your doors and we hope you would think of your students’ safety while on the road and accommodate us in your school activities and give us the chance to share our knowledge to help keep them alive and healthy as they go to and from school and whenever they are on the road.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments, email [email protected].