Road rage and traffic issues

Atty. Jerome G. Neri
The Scrutineer

ROAD rage is getting more common nowadays. There are different forms, and the worst results in death just like the incident that went viral involving a Hyundai Eon driver and a cyclist. The viral video did not show the cause of the road rage. What was seen was the driver of the Hyundai Eon pulling over the cyclist and a heated argument ensued.

The driver of the Hyundai Eon stepped out of the car and a fistfight began. The fight ended with the driver of the Hyundai losing that fight and getting back in his car. There was a final shouting match, then the cyclist started to move away. The driver of the Hyundai got out of his car again this time with a gun and shot the cyclist point blank several times. One of the bullets even hit a bystander, who got injured.

A small traffic altercation has turned into murder. Three families’ lives changed forever. This is the first road rage death that I have seen on video and it is not a pretty sight.

The first road rage death I have heard of was back in my law school days where we had to study the landmark case of Rolito Go vs. Court of Appeals. If I remember correctly, the accused, Rolito Go, was driving the wrong way on a one-way street and was not given room by the car traveling the correct way, so he got down from his car and shot the driver of the car that was blocking his way. This was way back in the 90s before the advent of dash-cams and social media.

Today, blocking a car on the wrong lane has become ever so common. There are so many videos where we see a motorist in the correct lane not giving way to a counterflowing driver. The videos are usually uploaded by an angry driver in the correct lane with the purpose of shaming the offending driver on social media.

There is a high risk of road rage here. The counterflowing driver most probably is one that is frustrated and tired, hence he counterflows in order to try to get to his destination faster, only to get blocked by a car with a camera going the correct way. This kind of situation can trigger road rage between any of the two drivers.

As motorists, we should keep cool heads. When another driver violates traffic rules, let us leave it to the traffic enforcers to enforce the law. Taking the law into our own hands may just trigger road rage on the other motorist. We really would not know the mindset of the other drivers around us.

COMPLAINT. In the news last week, a group of taxi operators and drivers filed a complaint against Uber and Grab Car. They are asking for the suspension of the operations of Uber in Cebu City. This is a wrong move by the taxi drivers/operators. Uber is more expensive than taxis but give far better service especially to the techies. Uber is gaining popularity because the cars are cleaner and smell better. The drivers are more polite and drive with more caution, such that one can actually feel safer.

A franchise for public conveyance is a privilege granted by the government to a person, whether natural or juridical. A franchise is not a right nor is it property. The government can withdraw this anytime it pleases. Now, why would this Government withdraw the franchise of Uber and Grab Car when they provide much more than the taxis?

What the taxi operators should do is to take the new standards set by Uber as a challenge. The taxi operators are saying only their inferior service should be allowed. They should step up and improve their service. They should embrace modern technology and use internet apps in their service.