I was watching the news today just to hear that the MMDA have AGAIN, implemented the “No Texting While Driving Campaign”. I thought they had already implemented this? Why is the media broadcasting this again?

I am also a driver, but I won’t be saying it here in my article if I also do practice this. I am just playing safe, someone might use this article of mine against me, but suffice for you to know that I do use my mobile phone and I do drive my car.

MMDA traffic violation code 184 Driving while using cellular phone/handset radio penalty P200

What I want to reiterate about this traffic violation code is that how they will implement this? This traffic code, in my honest opinion, has many loopholes.

1.       How are they going to catch those people who are texting while driving? I mean, they are moving right? How are they gonna be able to see if the driver is really texting while driving?

2.       If they did saw a driver who is texting while driving, how are they going to stop him/her? The driver is moving right? What if the driver didn’t notice the traffic enforcer that was flagging him/her down since the vehicle was moving, or the driver did not want to stop and kept on moving even if they saw the enforcer (many drivers do this), how are they going to deal with that? Chase them? Nah, I don’t think so. By the time the traffic enforcer catches up, the driver could have already hid the mobile phone or whatnot, just to alibi that he/she is not using the mobile phone.

3. They say to prevent being flagged down, and there really is a need to answer the text message; you must pull over just to answer it. There were some that I know really do pull over just to answer text messages, but to most, specially, young, male drivers, never do this. So I think this is totally useless here in the Philippines. Matigas talaga ang ulo ng mga Pinoy (Filipinos are really stubborn)

4. The traffic violation says “Driving”. Driving, in other words, “moving”. Am I right? What if you’re in a bumper to bumper traffic which is very common here in Manila, specially along EDSA and some other major roads, wherein the traffic only moves every after 30 minutes, or you just got caught up by the red light. Would the drivers be violating the traffic code? If yes, then a very big WHY? Isn’t it that the driver is stuck in a very bad traffic / temporarily halted because of the stoplight same as pulling over? What? A driver can be caught in an accident if he/she is not moving? Wow how could that be?

5. What about fully tinted vehicles? What now? Traffic enforcers have Xray Visions now just like Superman? Awesome!

6. What about drivers using headset? How will they be able to know if the driver is using a headset just to prove that the driver is using his/her mobile phone? Ask? Genius!

7. What about those skilled people? Okay now, when I say skilled, I really do mean, SKILLED. Skilled people who can text without looking through their mobile phone. How are the genius traffic enforcers going to catch those individuals? Who are they this time? Madam Auring? Nice! If they are, will I be able to ask them what numbers are going to appear on the next lottery game?

8. Okay, this is getting unfair, the traffic code exempts law enforcers, rescue vehicle drivers (ambulances, fire engines, etc.) and media people. Why? Do those “exempted” people have training to be “Skilled”.

See that? That kind of traffic code won’t be followed by stubborn Filipino drivers. Unless these pinoy drivers pay the price. Nope not the penalty of 200 PHP, but the price of getting caught in an accident.

As for me all I can say is, be a responsible driver, nothing beats the safety of a responsible driver, always keep your head cool at all times. Don’t drink and drive, now that is more important than texting while driving.

And always Buckle up for Safety.

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