Right of might-never-happen

In a country plagued with multi-interpretative and very relaxed traffic rules and regulations, it is not surprising to pick up the newspaper and read about two or three traffic incidents on the quietest of days.  Many times, these incidents involve a vehicle to vehicle collision.  Other times, it’s a man versus machine collision with machine winning 90% of the time.  The 10% is when the vehicle actually gets to avoid the pedestrian and rams into some non-living entity.  But, as sure as a group of baboons is called a congress, you can bet your local baboon that all man versus machine incidents are caused by human error.

Why human error?  Well, first off, not every person has been properly taught by their educational institutions on how to safely cross the streets.  Most schools in the Philippines have a pedestrian crosswalk and/or a skywalk that isn’t being used.  How often have you driven past schools and seen people playing ‘japanese game’ with different vehicles as they try to get across the street?  And how many of these educational institutions actually have skywalks in front of them (which were built for the sole purpose of separating pedestrians from vehicular traffic) that aren’t being used by these pedestrians?   Even worse, many of those playing car tag are so-called ‘professors’ or ‘educators’ who should know better.

Second point to prove that human error is to blame, many ‘licensed’ drivers ignore the provision stated in Chapter 4, Article I, Section 35, Sub-section b-4 of Republic Act 4136 (AN ACT TO COMPILE THE LAWS RELATIVE TO LAND TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC RULES, TO CREATE A LAND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES) which outlines the speed limit when driving through school zones.  At this point, I’ll give Mr. know-it-all driver two minutes to search for the answer.

Ok, two minutes are up.  It’s 20 kph max.  For the severely mentally-challenged ‘licensed’ driver, the speed limit is ten points higher than your IQ.

Another provision in the same Chapter of the RA is Article III section 42c which mandates drivers to yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing such highway within a crosswalk.

Normally, I wouldn’t waste space to describe a crosswalk (as it is supposedly a given).  But because of the many ‘licensed’ bumbling idiots who have this habit of stopping their vehicles at the crosswalk itself, I am forced to do so.  A crosswalk is a designated point on a road to assist pedestrians wishing to cross.  They are designed to keep pedestrians together where they can cross safely across the flow of vehicular traffic.  Pedestrian crossings are often found at intersections.  Most frequently, they are marked with two thick white lines running from one side of the road to the other.

And Mr. Traffic Enforcer, Article IV, section 46 of the same chapter actually reads: No driver shall park a vehicle, or permit it to stand, whether attended or unattended, upon a highway in any of the following places: (b) On a crosswalk.  I can hear Mr. Enforcer going, ‘it’s not unattended, so it’s not parked!’  Yes, it’s not parked, it’s standing! (A regulation I believe we should adapt and something I will discuss in the future)

So, whether it be the person driving the vehicle or the person running across the street, such road incidents are the result of human error.

Many of today’s students who see their ‘teachers’ scampering across the street instead of using the skyway will think it’s the right way to cross the street.

Many of today’s children who see drivers crowd the pedestrian lane at an intersection or honk their horns at pedestrians at the crosswalk because they have the right of might will grow up and do the exact same thing.

If, at a certain point, you were ever wondering why many people, mostly children, figure in road accidents, all you need to do is remember the popular tagline in the late 80’s: ‘Ang maling gawa ay nagiging tama sa mata ng mga bata kapag ginagawa ng mas nakatatanda.’