EDITORIAL - Deadly driving

Transport officials must sit down with operators of public utility vehicles to tighten regulations in promoting safe travels.

As of last night, the death toll from a multi-vehicle collision that occurred at noon in Tarlac had reached 12, including four minors, with 27 others needing hospitalization or treatment for injuries. Rescuers said eight died right at the scene.

The reason for the accident? Probers said the driver of a Solid North Transit bus reportedly fell asleep at the wheel as the vehicle was approaching the northbound exit toll plaza of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway in Tarlac City. The bus slammed into a sport utility vehicle that was at full stop at the plaza.

The bus, which should have slowed down at the approach to the toll plaza, must have been running at full speed. The force of the impact made the SUV slam into the vehicles ahead. In all, the pileup involved three SUVs and a container truck hauler.

It was 12:18 p.m. on a bright summer day, so visibility could not have been the problem. Why was a driver feeling sleepy at lunchtime?

Sleepy drivers have also figured in deadly accidents in recent months in Metro Manila and other areas. Another common cause of vehicular accidents, especially those involving trucks and buses, is brake failure. This can only be attributed to poor vehicle maintenance.

How can people who can afford vehicles costing millions of pesos, and whose business is to transport people and cargo, scrimp on regular maintenance of their vehicles, especially brakes? It’s easy to tell when brakes are weakening and needing repair or replacement.

As for sleepy drivers, are they overworked? Are they suffering from an alcoholic hangover or using drugs? It is the responsibility of PUV operators to ensure that their drivers are in top shape while on duty.

Solid North is reportedly owned by JAC Liner, one of the largest bus companies in the country. Surely the company is not lacking in employees who can stay fully alert while driving. For long-haul trips, drivers must be replaced, either along the route at stations of the bus company, or by an alternate driver who rides along and takes over when the main driver feels tired or sleepy.

In mass transportation, sleeping on the job can be deadly. Whether driving a PUV or private vehicle, anyone who figures in an accident while asleep at the wheel is endangering himself and the public, and deserves heavy penalties. Regulators must step in and compel greater responsibility on the part of both drivers and mass transport operators.