Crazy Drivers

[Travis]

Is there any place in the Philippines where people drive normal? This place has the most wako drivers that I have ever seen in one place. :1 (72):

All the places I've been in the Philippines had normal driving. Dictionary;"conforming to the standard or the common type"So I think that most people here drive normal, for the Philippines. So we as westerners don't have a monopoly on "normal" I think.

I guess you have been in the Phils too long if you think driving like that is OK. I guess I need more time here to let my brain deteriorate more to get used to the way they drive here. I think I will buy a used tank. :D

[BobNChe]

Is there any place in the Philippines where people drive normal? This place has the most wako drivers that I have ever seen in one place. :1 (72):

All the places I've been in the Philippines had normal driving. Dictionary;"conforming to the standard or the common type"So I think that most people here drive normal, for the Philippines. So we as westerners don't have a monopoly on "normal" I think.

I guess you have been in the Phils too long if you think driving like that is OK. I guess I need more time here to let my brain deteriorate more to get used to the way they drive here. I think I will buy a used tank. :D

I have to say here that I think Filipinos are some of the best drivers that I have ever seen. They often give others the right of way and there is some method to the madness but I do not know what it is yet. They seem to communicate with other drivers by some means that works better than in the states and they must have the patience of saints because they never seem to get mad when others cut them off. In all the years that we have been coming back and forth and living in the Philippines, I have only seen a few fender benders and I have never seen a fatal accident. I did see one pretty bad hit near Macro, but again no one seemed to get hurt in that one either......but I have heard of a few fatal accidents where cars, trucks or buses drove off the mountains in Mindanao and I would guess that was due to poor maintenance on the vehicles and lack of brakes and not really the drivers faults....Cebu is pretty safe IMO.

[love2winalot]

Hiya: I love driving here. I got a lot of practice in Korea. My wife gets made at me as i weave in and out, and the like. She says, 'You are having to much fun"........hehehe.The rule is simple. There are No traffic Lanes, and he who's vehicle is 1 cm ahead of the other has the right of way. The 2 second rule means you might as well just turn off the car and get out an walk, because you will just keep getting cut off by everyone. Yes, if I see you, i will cut you off also, heheheI do have a question though. In Subic, and Olongapo, once in a while i will see an American car with USA, "Airizona, Nevada, ect" plates on it instead of the PI Plates. I know that a car over 5 years old, can not be shipped here, legally, and these car looked older than 5 years to me. Anyone know, or also seen this?

[Mr Lee]

Hiya: I love driving here. I got a lot of practice in Korea. My wife gets made at me as i weave in and out, and the like. She says, 'You are having to much fun"........hehehe.The rule is simple. There are No traffic Lanes, and he who's vehicle is 1 cm ahead of the other has the right of way. The 2 second rule means you might as well just turn off the car and get out an walk, because you will just keep getting cut off by everyone. Yes, if I see you, i will cut you off also, heheheI do have a question though. In Subic, and Olongapo, once in a while i will see an American car with USA, "Airizona, Nevada, ect" plates on it instead of the PI Plates. I know that a car over 5 years old, can not be shipped here, legally, and these car looked older than 5 years to me. Anyone know, or also seen this?

I did a search and below is a link to a company that seems to handles importation and other things but laws change here on a daily basis so be sure to ask them directly if you intend to or even think about importing a car. There are some rather extensive laws on importing so best to contact customs directly if anyone intends to import a vehicle but for the purpose of your question this information is probably correct, and no I have never seen a car with US plates here but I am sure they do exist and my guess is they are military or Embassy connected in some way or businesses with special privileges such as diplomatic immunity. I do not see anything about age of vehicle and my guess that would not apply to the categories above but a call to this company should hopefully answer your question or maybe someone has a better answer? FAQ RLS Logistics WHO IS QUALIFIED TO IMPORT USED MOTOR VEHICLES? Under Executive Order No. 284 as implemented by BIS, in relation to BSP Circular-Letter, Series of 1995, added dated October 19, 1995, the following individuals maybe allowed to bring in used motor vehicles: A returning Filipino or a former Filipino citizen who has stayed abroad for more than a year;An immigrant to the Philippines (shall be at least a holder of a 13G Visa duly Issued by the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation). Provided further that:Only one (1) unit motor vehicle per family is allowed to be brought in. (A motorcycle is considered a motor vehicle for this purpose). The vehicle is registered in his name for at least six (6) months prior to shipment to the Philippines;Proof can be presented that the vehicle was acquired out of the earnings abroad.

[Braddo]

DRIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES When greeting a Filipino driver, slowly lower your window and be prepared to greet the driver with: "Tang namo, bobo". However, if you have been already addressed by a fellow driver, reply with a joyful "Tang namo rin, gago". On Turn SignalsIf a driver in another lane turns on the turn signal, do not let him go into your lane. In fact, press the accelerator and start driving right next to him/her. The fellow driver will probably greet you and you already know what to do. On Traffic Lights These amusing artifacts hang from intersections for no apparent reason. Sometimes you will see drivers stop to see the colors change on these lights (a fascinating experience). Government officials (specifically police) believe that each color stands for an instruction for drivers to follow. From pure observation I have determined the following instructions for each color: Yellow light: accelerate your car as much as possible. Red light: this light gives permission to the next five to six cars to go through. Green: reduce speed and wait for the five to six cars passing through their respective red lights. Little-known-fact: Time to start honking your horn, as soon as the light turns green: 1.5 seconds. On Changing Lanes Changing lanes has been elevated to an art form in the Philippines. First of all, no matter what you do, never turn on your turn signal or otherwise you'll stimulate the reaction described above. Second, swerve your car uncontrollably to the lane you want to change, preferably if you end up within inches of a car in that lane. At this point a greeting from the other driver may be in order. To perfect your change of lanes, reduce the speed of your car dramatically in a matter of seconds and you will see an action packed reaction from the car behind you. On Traffic Jams Traffic Jams are teeming with fun filled activities such as: 1. Honking your horn rhythmically. 2. Put on make-up (usually female drivers only) 3. Nose-pickers sightseeing. (not to be confused with people who scratch their brains through their nose) 4. Reduce speed to watch whatever is causing the traffic jam. Add excitement by trying to see if you know the parties involved. (note: every Filipino driver is obliged to do this) 5. Lose weight by sweating like a pig as a result of a lack of air conditioning. 6. Greet other drivers. 7. Practice lane changing. 8. Play the game: Let's see how close I can get to you before rear-ending you. On Pedestrians These individuals are an annoyance to the Filipino driver. If you see pedestrians on your way, accelerate your car to let them know who's the boss. If you are at an intersection, let the pedestrians know you want to proceed by accelerating your car and honking at the last possible moment. On Social SituationsBumping into a friend while driving (not to be taken literally) is a joyful occasion. Drivers should reduce speed and stop their cars in the middle of the street and chit chat. What about other drivers? Well, they can wait. On Highway Driving Bottleneck Formation: To accomplish this type of driving, cars must block all lanes by driving at the same speed and side by side (to avoid other cars to pass). It is important to drive at a speed at least 20 mph below the speed limit. The Three-Lane-Change : This movement requires a lot of precision and creativity. It should be done around the highest number of cars possible and in a matter of seconds to create what others may refer to as widespread panic.I find the above to be pretty well spot on :as-if:

[Jake]

Hello Braddo,Being Filipino, you got me rolling with tears of laughter! Wow, excellent summary of behavior issuesdescribing a typical Filipino driver. Thank you -- Jake

[Travis]

taxi drivers & the idiots on bikes are the worst

[ancienrocka]

[Inspector]

Despite the apparent chaos and lane lines just being a suggestion there are relatively few accidents. It is an interesting experience.

Even more interesting when I was a newbie thinking the traffic would stop for me at the Zebra crossings

:tiphat:...and never trust a traffic "guide"...all they do is guide traffic into you as if they are saying, "ok, everybody hit the kano!"

[TheMason]

I think this you tube video adequately explains the road rules at junctions in Cebu Paul http://www.youtube.c...h?v=F2nzQY7tXv8

Now if they could just strap a few chickens to their bikes and add a few potholes and drunken pedestrians then I think it would be a fair representation of traffic here.