Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Jay Art Tugade is making sure the onrush of Semana Santa travelers prove a safe, accident-free experience, especially as traffic conditions have reverted to pre-pandemic levels.
Here are Tugade’s safe travel tips for private and public road transport drivers:
Tip Number 1: If you don’t like the hassle or be yourself a hassle to fellow motorists, check your vehicle’s road worthiness. How? By yourself or by a qualified mekaniko, perform regular maintenance on your vehicle like oil changes, tune-ups, and battery and tire pressure checks. This is especially important for public utility vehicles (PUVs). More than keeping to the schedule, PUV drivers are responsible for the lives of the riding public.
During a surprise bus inspection at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) on Saturday, Tugade’s team saw a bus with bald tires and a broken light. It was not given the go-signal to travel.
Also, if you’re passing by NLEX and SCTEX, load up your RFID before traveling.
Tip Number 2: Focus on driving. Do not text and drive.
Republic Act 10913, or the Anti-Distracted Driving Act, penalizes motorists caught “using a mobile communications device, write, send, or read a text-based communication or making or receiving calls, and other similar acts” as well as “using an electronic entertainment or computing device to play games, watch movies, surf the internet, compose messages, read e-books, perform calculations, and other similar acts.”[1]
Violators shall be fined P5,000 for the first offense, P10,000 for the second offense, and P15,000 for the third offense plus suspension of their driving license for three months. On the fourth offense, the erring driver shall be fined P20,000 plus a revocation of the driving license.[2]
Tip Number 3: Minimize chit-chat while driving.
Long road trips can get boring. An occasional conversation with passengers can keep the driver’s blood circulation going. But animated conversations can be as distracting as using a cellphone. When you’re on driving duty, make sure your number-one priority is still bringing your passengers to their destination safely and in one piece.
Tip Number 4: Keep to the speed limit.
Republic Act 4136, or the LTO and Traffic Rules Act, sets the following speed limits:[3]
| MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE SPEEDS | Passenger Cars and Motorcycle | Motor trucks and buses |
| 1. On open country roads, with no “blind corners” not closely bordered by habitations. | 80 kms. per hour | 50 kms. per hour |
| 2. On “through streets” or boulevards, clear of traffic, with no “blind corners,” when so designated. | 40 kms. per hour | 30 kms. per hour |
| 3. On city and municipal streets, with light traffic, when not designated “through streets.” | 30 kms. per hour | 30 kms. per hour |
| 4. Through crowded streets, approaching intersections at “blind corners,” passing school zones, passing other vehicles which are stationary, or for similar dangerous circumstances. | 20 kms. per hour | 20 kms. per hour |
I’ve heard that some drivers pretend they are race-car drivers so that they can fight off sleepiness. That’s why we have Tip Numbers 5 and 6.
Tip Number 5: Get a full 8-hour’s sleep.
Fatigue can make it harder to drive safely and respond quickly to sudden road condition changes.
Tip Number 6: Take regular breaks on long drives.
Don’t eat on the go. While the drive-thru may be convenient, multitasking behind the wheel takes your attention off the road, and violates Tip Number 2.
Tip Number 7: Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle.
Especially for drivers of private vehicles, before you head out on a road trip, prepare for the unexpected by keeping these items on board: cellphone and car charger, first-aid kit, flashlight, jumper cables, candles and matches, non-perishable food items such as biscuits, water, and blankets.
Tugade said the LTO will be on heightened alert from March 31 to April 10. During this period, all LTO traffic enforcers will be deployed on major thoroughfares to assist motorists.
Keep safe everyone!
