EDITORIAL — Shared liability

Call it a series of unfortunate events.

A woman who had just dropped off her child to school died while a motorcycle driver and two students were injured in an accident along the Mel Lopez Boulevard in Tondo, Manila, last Monday morning, June 29.

According to a GMA news report, as well as from what we can see in a video, the 35-year-old woman recklessly crossing the highway when she was hit by a motorcycle. The strong impact threw her over some barriers and into a group of students walking against traffic on the other side of the highway.

Police said the woman crossed where she did because there were no crosswalks near where she dropped her child off at school. They also said the 26-year-old motorcycle rider could have avoided the collision if he had practiced defensive driving.

There’s no denying the tragedy here. A student lost his or her mother. Two students will be starting the school year with some injuries, while their parents will face the additional burden of hospital costs aside from school expenses. Meanwhile, the rider, aside from also being injured, may unfairly be charged for something not entirely his fault.

Who is to blame in this incident?

The motorcycle rider? But he was just driving where he was supposed to be and couldn’t stop on a dime.

The woman who crossed a place where she shouldn’t have? But she was just crossing where she thought would cost her least time and effort.

The students who were walking where they shouldn’t have? But they were also doing what the parent was, passing where they could save time and effort.

The local government unit for not building enough safe crossing and walking areas? But they can’t do much if people ignore safety features.

It would seem in this case everyone has a bit of liability.

If the woman hadn’t crossed where she did, if the motorcycle rider had practiced defensive driving, if the students hadn’t been walking in such a dangerous place, or if the local government unit had built more accessible walkways and crossing areas, then maybe it wouldn’t have happened.

Lessons should be learned here. Otherwise this may not be the last series of unfortunate events.