DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A city councilor is proposing a local law that will mandate all motorcycle users, including their passengers, to wear reflectorized vests when traveling along the City’s roads especially at night.
In the Privilege Speech of Councilor Jesus Joseph Zozobrado last August 13 in the regular session, he suggested the vests because of the road mishaps caused by motorcycles.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that up to 1.25 million deaths caused by road crashes every year. WHO also reported that more than 10,000 Filipinos perished annually due to road accidents. Road crashes are the main cause of death globally, usually among people between ages 15-19 years,” Zozobrado said.
“While we do not have the exact data in Davao City, we are more or less in the same boat. The City also has its share of road accidents, most of them involving motorcycles,” he added.
According to Zozobrado, such accidents continue to happen, despite previous manifestations of this Council, about the necessity of requiring drivers to undergo motorcycle-driving training for their own safety, and for the safety of other motorists.
Motorcycles, Zozobrado said, have smaller footprints and are easy to manipulate amid the throng of large vehicles and trucks, however riding these two-wheelers is still a tough task.
“Motorcycle drivers who insert their vehicles in between slow-moving vehicles is a common occurrence, even if it is prohibited by law. They seem to have developed the skill of passing through where four wheeled vehicle drivers least expect them to be. This makes them road hazards, especially at night time, when visibility is at its lowest and most difficult,” Zozobrado said.
The reflectorized vests, Zozobrado said, will provide an additional blanket of security for motorcycle drivers as this will allow the other motorists to see them even in the darkest night.
“Motorcycle riders need to be visible if they want to be safe on the road and the best way to do that is to pass an ordinance that will make the wearing of fluorescent or high-visibility clothing part of their gear,” Zozobrado said.
“To ensure the safety of motorcyclists and other road users, we deem it necessary to supplement the required gear for motorcyclists to include the reflectorized vest,” he added. (davaotoday.com)
