Lto Wants Motorbikes With Lights On Even During Daytime

[Mr Lee]

Do you or would you ride a motorcyle where you live? All motorcycles will have to turn their headlights on even during daytime in 2010 or face stiff penalties if a plan of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) pushes through.LTO Traffic Safety Division chief Daisy Jacobo, who is drafting the guidelines of the new policy, said the agency would soon penalize riders who refuse to turn on the headlights of their motorcycle units.Last year, the LTO came up with an order encouraging motorcycle riders to turn their headlights even during daytime to increase their visibility on the road but had no penal clause on it.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Do you or would you ride a motorcyle where you live? All motorcycles will have to turn their headlights on even during daytime in 2010 or face stiff penalties if a plan of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) pushes through.LTO Traffic Safety Division chief Daisy Jacobo, who is drafting the guidelines of the new policy, said the agency would soon penalize riders who refuse to turn on the headlights of their motorcycle units.Last year, the LTO came up with an order encouraging motorcycle riders to turn their headlights even during daytime to increase their visibility on the road but had no penal clause on it."I'm thinking of imposing a penalty of as high as P1,500 to a low of P500 per violation," Jacobo told the Manila Bulletin in an interview.The stiff penalty is meant to encourage riders to obey the new policy which was formulated to give motorcycles higher visibility while on the road. The LTO also considered a plan requiring motorcycle manufacturers to create units that will automatically turn the headlights on when the engine is started."Motorcycles are prone to accidents because they are like virtual broomstick from a distance to other road users. So to increase their visibility, their headlights should be turned on any time of the day," Jacobo said.According to records from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), in 2008 there were 11,869 accidents involving motorcycles, with a total of 113 fatalities.There were significantly more car accidents (61,448) but fewer resulting fatalities (91).Motorcycle sales have been growing at an unprecedented rate for the past years driven by high fuel costs and easy-on-the-pocket installment plans.There are 2.6 million registered motorcycles in the Philippines as of 2008 with 671,588 of them newly bought.In perspective, there were only 821,599 motorcycles (including tricycles) in the country in 1996.Jacobo expressed hope that motorcycle riders would heed the new policies of the LTO which are aimed to curb road accidents involving the two-wheeled motor vehicle."Riders are becoming safety conscious, which is evident with more riders now wearing helmets. But still, Filipinos are observed to be risk-takers and have misplaced values on the worth of life. There are riders who want to buy an expensive mobile phone but do not want to invest on a more expensive but better protective helmets. These misplaced values should also be changed," she said.According to a report submitted by Richard Domingo of the Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System, motorcycles are becoming the public's favorite means of transport due to the need for mobility and affordability, and to beat the traffic problem and the ever-increasing fuel and fare prices."Nevertheless, the risk that it imposes to the motorcyclist is twice as high as compared to when one rides a car," Domingo said. He also said motorcycles do not have the same safety features as a regular cars, which makes drivers and passengers more vulnerable to injuries when they figure in road accidents.Link to the complete story

If they can make a law for motor bike riders you would think they would implement it into cars as well for night driving,always makes me laugh to see so many driving at night with no lights saving petrol/gas :lol:

[TheMason]

This is the most honest, insightful quote I've ever seen by a Filipino politician....Filipinos are observed to be risk-takers and have misplaced values on the worth of life. These misplaced values should also be changed.Too bad she was only talking about the narrow instance of buying a new cell phone instead of a motorcycle helmet.

[tropicalwaste]

Wouldnt be so bad if they even bought reflective materials for vehicles if they plan to not use lights. I dont have too much of a problem in the City but its when you head down towards CarCar as a lot of things like buses are on main beam and the tricycles havent got lights on at all.. makes it pretty difficult to drive even for the best of drivers.

[johnb]

Wouldnt be so bad if they even bought reflective materials for vehicles if they plan to not use lights. I dont have too much of a problem in the City but its when you head down towards CarCar as a lot of things like buses are on main beam and the tricycles havent got lights on at all.. makes it pretty difficult to drive even for the best of drivers.

I've seen some trikescads with CD's glued to there bikes to act as reflecters

[Jollygoodfellow]

Wouldnt be so bad if they even bought reflective materials for vehicles if they plan to not use lights. I dont have too much of a problem in the City but its when you head down towards CarCar as a lot of things like buses are on main beam and the tricycles havent got lights on at all.. makes it pretty difficult to drive even for the best of drivers.

I've seen some trikescads with CD's glued to there bikes to act as reflecters

Ive seen that and they work well,even at day they give off a rainbow sort of color.

[Mr Lee]

Motorcycles in the US have to have their lights on day or night and I think it is a good idea and any other thing that might let a car or truck driver see them better can only make their life safer.

[tropicalwaste]

Maybe they can put the pirate CD/DVD`s they recover from the illegal printing labs to good use on the tricycles.The problem with the lights though are that most of the areas which are more likely to cause accidents are in the provinces the same location where unlicensed and unlit vehicles are. I have been stopped for a faulty headlight in Cebu City before which I found funny.. as I had 3 other working lights maybe its because I had other lighting working I got stopped?

[Mik]

Many motorcyclists don't even want to use their lights at night..

[Matt]

It is true what other are saying, living in the province as i do and drink most nights on the road in front of my Sari sari store i am alsways amazed to see how many bikes go by with no lights on what so ever in the darkness or sometimes you see them with one indicator going. Tricycles here have no reflectors what so ever and are extremely difficult to see in the dark, though i did recently see one and i stop and told well done mate. I have a bike and use my lights day and night no matter how far i am going, it is always better to be safe and than crushed under a bus.