PGMA Orders DILG to Step Up Campaign VS Speed Violators

August 25, 2009

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday ordered Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to intensify the  campaign of the Philippine National Police (PNP) against drivers of overspeeding vehicles and other violators of traffic laws and regulations.

In response, Puno immediately directed the PNP’s  Highway Patrol Group  (HPG) headed by its director, Chief Supt. Orlando Mabutas, to increase its visibility on national roads and other major thoroughfares and step up its crackdown against traffic law violators.

“Upon the instructions of the President, I have directed Chief Superintendent Mabutas of the HPG to step up its campaign against overspeeding motorists, drunk drivers and other violators of traffic laws,” Puno said.
 
President Arroyo issued the directive to Puno during the Tuesday Cabinet meeting in Sarangani province.

From January to March of this year alone, the HPG has recorded a total of 9,279 vehicular accidents, of which over a third or close to 3,000 cases were caused by overspeeding.

Puno said the President has expressed alarm over the latest vehicular mishap involving two passenger buses, which collided head-on in Lucena City in the province of  Quezon past midnight Sunday.

Nine people were killed and 41 others were injured in that accident, which occurred in the diversion road of the Maharlika Highway in Quezon. 

According to HPG data, passenger buses placed third in the list of cases involving road accidents, with 991 cases during the January-March period. Cars were involved in the most number of traffic accidents with 3,698 cases, followed by motorcycles with 2,529 cases.

Puno noted that most motorists seem to be unaware of the maximum allowable speed limits as prescribed under existing laws.

The prescribed maximum allowable speed limits under Republic Act 4136, otherwise known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code are 80 km/hr for passenger cars and motorcycles, and 50 km/hr for trucks and buses  in open country roads “with no blind corners not closely bordered by habitation.” On  “through” streets or boulevards clear of traffic with no blind corners, the limits are 40 km/hr for passenger cars and motorcycles and 30 km/hr for trucks and buses .

On city and municipal streets with light traffic and not designated as through streets, the speed limit for cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses is 30 km/hr.  For crowded streets “approaching intersections at blind corners, passing school zones, passing other vehicles which are stationary or for similar dangerous circumstances,”  maximum allowable speeds are 30 km/hr for cars and motorcycles and 20 km/hr for trucks and buses.