Motoring Today Column

Dec 27, 2017

It took me almost an hour surfing the net and browsing through the websites of the Land Transportation Office (LTO),Philippine National Police (PNP-HPG),Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) looking for some hard facts and figures about how the country's 'anti drunk and drugged driving law' is doing as far as its implementation (or lack of it) is concerned and what have been the dire consequences of what appears to be a continuing unabated misdemeanor of many motorists. And sorry to say but it was indeed a futile search. In this digital age may I suggest these government agencies take a long deep look at their websites to find out how user friendly (or unfriendly) they have been designed or being maintained. To begin with, a working 'search engine' would do wonders to these websites.

Being in the midst of the Holiday Season's daily celebrations, I got so interested to find out how the government is doing in its mandated task to curb this very dangerous practice of many of us to drink to the limit, or most of the time way past it and wantonly go behind the wheel and drive.

In some news item that recently came out (which I wanted to confirm-reason for visiting the aforementioned websites), it was mentioned that, "more than 1,000 road accidents occurred with a drunk driver behind the wheel from January to October this year " , and that's quite alarming.

In the absence of hard facts and figures from our local government agencies, allow me to lift some from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the US Department of Transportation if only to show the vital importance of addressing the issue of drunk driving.

From as early 2010, the transport agency reported that, "Three people every two hours are killed in alcohol-related highway crashes in the US registering 13, 365 deaths. In addition alcohol-related highway crashes cost Americans $37 billion yearly."

The report added that from 1990 to 2009 a very significant decrease of 8.6 percent in deaths due alcohol-related accidents. This welcomed development was attributed to drunk driving awareness and law enforcement efforts and Zero Tolerance laws that included a substantial adjustment in the accepted level of Blood Alcohol Concentration limit from 2 to 0.08.

In the Philippines it was only in May 2013 when RA 10586 or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act was signed into law upon the legislators' long-delayed realization that the present law ruling the issue of drunk driving was close to being inutile and toothless. The drafting of the IRR ( Implementing Rules and Regulations) though took like eternity to finish and came out only this year, a good three years from the approval of the law.

The law has the Land Transportation Office (LTO) as the main implementing agency with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Local Government Units (LGUs) deputized to assist.

Weighty penalties were designed for violators of the law. For example, holders of non-professional licenses on their first violation can be slapped a hefty fine of from P20,000 to P80,000, a 3-month jail term, and a year's suspension of license-any or all of these depending on the judge. A second violation could mean a perpetual revocation of license. Holders of professional licenses however on first conviction get the same penalties except that a revocation of license is implemented on the first offence.

Things get tougher when injury or death becomes a consequence of the driving under the influence of alcohol; like a steep fine of P100,000 to P200,000 and imprisonment in accordance to Article 263 of the Revised Penal Code depending on the graveness of the injury. But death could mean a fine of P300,000 to P500,000 and reclusion temporal or imprisonment of 12 to 20 years.

A motorist may be pulled over for a possible violation of the law when there's probable cause like irrational vehicle movement while on the road like weaving in and out of lanes, reckless driving, not stopping on a red light or over speeding. The initial action is to give the three standard field sobriety tests consisting of;horizontal gaze nystagmus (eye test), the walk and turn and the one-leg stand. If the suspected driver fails the tests a mandatory breath analyzer test may be conducted right where the driver was pulled over or if no breath analyzer is available the driver may be brought to the police station or a medical facility where it can be done.

Now, word has it that an agreement of collaboration between the deputized implementing agencies, the MMDA and the PNP to aggressively help the LTO to start getting strict in implementing the law starting next year.

But why only start next year?

By tradition and culture it is during theHoliday Season, when yearend bonuses abound whenPinoys drink the most to be really merry while New Year's Eve is a universal favorite. These are the days of the year when drinking is usually 'open season'. These are the critical days of the year when accidents due to drunk driving are just waiting to happen.

And these are the days when the authorities should be more vigilant and watchful to prevent road crashes due to drunk driving, whose inevitable consequences would count among them property damage, injuries and sadly even death. The authorities should do their job now and not to wait for next year to get these stupid drunk drivers off our roads before they kill our loved ones or us.

And for the person, who is aware of the legal implications and hefty fines for being cited for drunk driving not to mention its possible dire consequences to gamble on the chances of not being caught or not meeting an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol must be a moron in the truest sense of the word.

So please, don't be a moron. If you want to drink, have a designated driver or take a cab home. Drink to heart's delight, but please, don't you dare drive-DON'T BE A MORON.

Happy Motoring and Happy New Year!!!

For comments & inquiries (email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com