Motorists reminded: Be defensive drivers

A stretch of road along the TransCentral Highway in Balamban town, western Cebu. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines —Motorists are reminded to be defensive drivers to avoid accidents.

Police Major Michael Gingoyon, Highway Patrol Group (HPG) Cebu provincial chief, said that motorists should always have a defensive driver mindset and discipline while driving on roads and highways.

Gingoyon reminded motorists anew after a series of road accidents in Cebu City and Cebu province in the last couple of weeks resulted in the deaths and injuries of several persons.

He said practicing defensive driving would not only get you safely to your destination but it would also help you avoid a lot of hospital expenses, suffering due to injuries or even deaths caused by road accidents.

“Defensive driving is only a matter of mind setting. Kay kung reckless ka, it will really cause a lot — hospital expense, time, suffering, unya most of all loss of life. Kung nakamindset ka nga di ka ganahan mahitabo ang ingun ana, mag amping gyud ka,” Gingoyon said.

(Defensive driving is only a matter of mind-setting. If you are reckless, it will really cause you a lot such as hospital expenses, time, suffering, and most of all, loss of life. If you have the mindset not to experience accidents, then you are expected to be cautious and take good care of your actions.)

He also encouraged motorists to set aside their self pride and their egos when driving.

“If overtake-an sila. Di sila magpa overtake. Di man na pwede ingun ana. Ang uban man gud mag gara gara kay self-pride, dili ganahan magpaovertake or mugukod pod. Mao sad na usa sa mga causes sa accidents,” Gingoyon added.

(If someone will try to overtake him, they won’t let the other vehicle overtake him. That is inappropriate. There are people who drive recklessly because of self pride. They don’t want other motorists to overtake them and if they will be overtaken they will race after the motorist who overtook them. That is one of the causes of accidents.)

Read: HPG to intensify road safety awareness campaign along TransCentral Highway

Gingoyon also cited a motorist’s misplaced sense of getting attention through the “mamitikays” or photographers getting photos of passing motorists especially in certain areas in the Transcentral Highway.

“Usa na sila sa factor [mamitikay] pero sa mga “reckless drivers” ug katong mga motorists who wanted attention in a wrong way… dira mawagtang ilang focus sa kalsada, ma distract sila,” he said.

(That is one of the factors (mamitikay or photographers) of accidents but for those reckless drivers and those motorists who wanted attention in the wrong way.  It [playing to the mamitikay] is where they will lose focus and get distracted.)

Police and CCTO personnel conducted a checkpoint at the Transcentral Highway in Cebu City on Saturday morning, April 10. | Brian J Ochoa

Look: Police and CCTO personnel set up a checkpoint along the Transcentral Highway

Gingoyon said that they had intensified setting up simultaneous checkpoints not only along the Transcentral Highway (TCH) but also in other areas in Cebu province. 

He said they addressed the lack of manpower to set up checkpoints in the several areas in the province by coordinating with local policemen, who would help man the checkpoints as part of their duties to enforce traffic laws in their areas of jurisdiction.

“Pero if kailangan gyud among presence sa TCH everyday para ma lessen or maminimize ang road accidents diha sa TCH, amo gyud na buhaton,” he said.

(If our presence will be needed in TCH every day to lessen or minimize accidents there, then we will do it.)

Read: Highway Patrol Group taps 2k motorists as partners in safe driving campaign

Gingoyon said that they would also continue partnering with private motorists and groups as their force multipliers in raising awareness on responsible driving and road behavior. 

Last March 5, HPG had tapped 2,000 motorists as their partners in this campaign.

“Gi educate namo sila para mahimo sila og advocate ug partner namo sa road safety. Not necessarily nga kuyog namo to implement aning traffic laws but mahimo silag usa sa mga defensive drivers, mahimong ehemplo sa fellow riders,” he said.

(We educate them to be our advocates and partners in road safety. It does not necessarily mean that they will accompany us in implementing traffic laws. Instead, they will be defensive drivers models to their fellow riders.)

Gingoyon said that they would continue this initiative with other motorists as force multipliers in implementing road safety. 

However, he said that the partnerships with riders had been put on hold for now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

/dbs

Related Stories

Borbon road accident injures 5

Balamban accident: Two dead after pickup truck collides with motorcycle

Rider injured after his motorcycle clips SUV in Busay