EDITORIAL - Responsible driving

Following two horrific vehicular accidents in less than a week that have left at least 12 people dead including five children, the Department of Transportation has tightened regulations on operators of public utility vehicles.

PUV drivers including motorcycle taxi riders will henceforth be required to undergo drug testing every six months along with alcohol assessment prior to dispatch.

An order issued yesterday by the Department of Transportation also required bus companies to limit their employees’ driving hours to just four hours straight from the current six. The DOTr said the four hours followed international standards on drivers’ welfare.

For trips lasting over four hours, a reliever must be on board to allow the driver to sleep or rest, according to the DOTr order.

The new rules were issued following the two recent vehicular accidents attributed to driver error. At past noon on May 1 in Tarlac, the driver of a Solid North bus fell asleep at the wheel. The bus slammed at full speed onto a Nissan Urvan at the northbound toll plaza exit of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. The van crashed into other cars ahead and onto a container truck hauler.

The Urvan was compacted into a mess of metal in which four children and their four guardians were crushed to death. In a crumpled car ahead, a couple on their way to Baguio were also crushed. Their two-year-old son miraculously survived in the back seat.

Meanwhile, last Sunday morning at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, video footage showed a Ford Explorer driving out of a parking slot at the departure ramp, and then accelerating and plowing into the crowd before hitting the airport wall. DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon lamented that the NAIA bollards failed to stop the vehicle. The driver, who had dropped off his employer at the terminal, said he got confused and had stepped on the gas. He has tested negative for illegal drugs.

For many years now, there have been reports of PUV and truck drivers reportedly taking shabu to stay awake on long-haul trips. Drug testing has been conducted on PUV drivers sporadically in the past years. Yet accidents resulting in deaths and injuries continue to occur due to drivers who are exhausted, sleepy, drunk or high on drugs.

After ordering the mandatory drug testing and shorter straight driving hours, the government must ensure proper enforcement, with penalties imposed for both drivers and vehicle owners who defy the requirements.

Licensing rules and penalties governing drivers of private vehicles must also be tightened. Accidents happen, but responsible driving can minimize the risks.