Letter to the Editor - Enough is enough!

I have operated motor vehicles in many different countries of the world over many years with the latest being the Philippines for the past eight years. Perhaps, I'm the only person from a western country that is fed up with the terrible driving skills, lack of knowledge of motor vehicle laws, consistent unsafe and discourteous vehicle operation, exhibited by 99.99 percent of all Filipino drivers, especially those in the metro Cebu area with the worse being on Mactan Island.

I have lost count of the times I've been forced off the highway or blinded by another vehicle's bright lights. I'm tired of trying to evade motorcycles and bicycles that simply try to squeeze in front of my moving vehicle. I'm tired of motorcycle and bicycle operators that don't understand the meaning of a traffic sign that says "One Way" - apparently they never learned how to read, have poor reading comprehension or believe the law doesn't apply to them.

Lapu-Lapu City has an exceptionally high percentage of these "individuals."

I have been sideswiped several times, have had motorcycles try to run over the back of my vehicle because of their excessive speed and simply not paying attention to their driving. In the case of being sideswiped the other vehicle operators have always stopped to apologize, etc. Of course they did not pay for the damage to my vehicle - that's not okay but this is the Philippines.

The straw that finally broke the camels back, so to speak, occurred the morning of March 13th on Maximo Patalinjug road in Lapu-Lapu City: I was forced off the road, over the curb and into a tree by a jeepney that didn't even bother to stop! The jeepney operator simply didn't look before turning into my lane. Had I not slammed on my brakes and turned to avoid him there would have been a serious accident with several people injured. I was not able to get the tag number of the jeepney and by the time I was able to get my vehicle back on the road the jeepney was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately no one was hurt - only physical damage to my vehicle that is now in the repair shop for the next several days.

By my observations over the past eight years I have concluded that the vast majority of PNP personnel and traffic enforcers do not know the laws regarding motor vehicle operation and highway safety. This is sad as they represent our first line of defense against "bad" drivers. Or if they do know the laws they are simply too lazy to enforce them and that is even worse than not knowing the laws.

As more motor vehicles enter operation on the highways there will be an increase in motor vehicle accidents resulting in serious injury or death. Insurance companies need to apply whatever amount of pressure it takes to insist the government implement drivers education programs.

On pure moral grounds the government is negligent in not having mandatory drivers education programs within the high school system. In addition, how can law enforcement personnel enforce the laws if they are not knowledgeable of the laws?

Beyond the immediate need to educate law enforcement personnel it must become mandatory that anyone involved with the transportation of passengers, e.g., jeepney, taxi, tricycle, pedicab, motorcycle, must successfully complete an accredited drivers education program before they can obtain an operator's license.

There is one positive sign. That is, the people of Bohol, especially Tagbilaran City, seem to have a much higher grasp regarding safe vehicle operation, etc. than their counterparts in metro Cebu.

It will take several years to educate the population and that will never happen unless the necessary programs are started now. In the meantime, I can only encourage people of the west to invest in an M-1 battle tank or similar vehicle to insure their safety on the Philippine highways.

Clifford L. Sheppard
B.F. Homes
Abuno, Pajac
Fifth Street, Block 5, Lot 24
Lapu-Lapu City 6015