Let’s not be another Vietnam

No, I haven’t been to Vietnam but a lot my peers in the motoring beat have and they have described to me the very visible astounding number of motorcyclists in that once war torn country that wantonly ride bare headed or without helmets. The unsafe practice has even merited a special funding or a grant from the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, to supply helmets for Vietnamese motorcyclist, so one article I read said.

Our kudos to the leadership of the municipality Navotas for intensifying the campaign against those riding motorcycles without the proper headgear. I think this campaign should not be on a local government level alone but nationwide. There should be a law, if there is none, which should be enforced all throughout the country to require this as standard equipment for all those who ride motorcycles — rider or passenger.

Now, there again is the question of affordability. Well, to begin with, if you could afford to buy a motorcycle, why not a helmet. But then that’s debatable. So, let’s go a little further by requiring motorcycle manufacturers to include a helmet in its sales package — just like in other countries where helmets come with the motorcycle when you buy one. The law should also require all those who sell their own motorcycles to others to have the helmet included in the sale. Now for those who are required by their jobs to use the motorcycle, the employer should be required to provide the headgear to the messenger, collector, delivery man or whatever. So now what’s one’s excuse not to have a helmet except not wanting to wear one? And that’s when strict implementation of the law absolutely requiring the use of helmets should be applied, which to my observation a lot of those in the police force or military do not follow presently. I’m sure you have a seen a lot of them riding around bareheaded. But in the meantime, what all the local governments can do is what the municipality of Navotas has done — passes an ordinance making it unlawful to ride motorcycles without helmets and strictly enforce it.

It’s incumbent on the government to keep our motorists safe — not the option of the motorist.

Motoring Today’s Mail Call

Our reader, Mr. Benedict J. Laguisma, writes wondering "why our government is not actively pushing for the use of alternative fuels like CNG, ethanol, LPG, etc., to help mitigate the adverse effects of the seemingly unending rising cost of fuel".

Well, Mr. Laguisma, as a matter of fact, the government is promoting the use of alternative fuels. Several public tests runs have been done initiated by the Department of Energy to demonstrate the fuel efficiency of these alternative fuels. And some have plunged into the use of LPG, especially taxi cabs, upon being convinced that there are really savings registered and documented on their use. It’s the "first cost" or the initial investment of converting into LPG use that’s getting to be a deterrent and this is where the government can probably step in by way of tax holidays, incentives or even subsidy for those interested to convert.

Mr. Rey Makalintal of Al Assal Manpower, Inc. wrote some time back about "a clogged drainage somewhere along Taft Ave. near Vito Cruz, which has caused black stinking water to accumulate and rise coming from the sewer lines."

I actually had this problem looked into by my TV show Motoring Today’s Action Team and the same has been reported to the authorities, DPWH if I’m not mistaken. I still have to find out if they have acted on the problem and whether the problem still exists. Please let me know.

Another reader, Mr. Ding Lobaton of Rainbow Village, Parañaque City wrote about "the very unsafe practice of many jeepney drivers of driving at night with their headlights off and the seemingly uncaring attitude of the police or traffic enforcers like those from Parañaque Police sub-station 4, to this infringement of the law."

Mr. Lobaton, let me just let you know that as soon as I received your letter sometime back I sent our Motoring Today Public Service Action Team to the office of the City Mayor, the Honorable Jun Bernabe and he promised to come up with the necessary sanctions for the policemen who do not react to this very unsafe practice. I also tried to find out myself why the unsafe habit of many of our public utility drivers of putting off their headlights and I found out this is mainly because they want to make sure that the people on the street see their "karatulas" as to where they are bound. This is again a clear case of deliberately breaking the law in the name of making a livelihood.

Our column’s avid reader, Mr. Jason Chang asks "who is really the authorized and exclusive dealer of Audi in the country and if there is service available for Audi owners in Cebu presently?"

And I thought this was already a dead issue. Well, Mr. Chang, I was shown papers and documents by Mike Coyiuto, president of PGA Cars attesting that they are the sole authorized representative of Audi automobiles in the Philippines. I also know that there was a case filed by Auto Prominence against Audi questioning the termination of their contract and the appointment of PGA Cars. What’s its status in court or if the legal proceedings were still going on, I really don’t know. But for all intents and purposes Audi currently recognizes PGA Cars and acts as their official representative in the country. I also inquired from Amado del Rosario of PGA Cars about their presence in Cebu and he said there is none right now but there would probably be in the very near future.

Mr. Leo Lim wrote to find out "if Isuzu Philippines has any plans of introducing a new Crosswind, probably with CRDI or "common rail direct injection", anytime this year and if Mazda has any plans of bringing the MPV CRDI to the country."

You see Mr. Lim, I spoke to Mr. Art Balmadrid, the vice president for business development and the highest Filipino executive of Isuzu Philippines Corporation no less to find out for you and what he said was that CRDI may not be in this year’s plans for the Crosswind — the "People’s Choice for the Auto Focus Automobile of the Year" but definitely Isuzu Philippines shall not cease in further improving this very successful and well-loved model. The upgrade, according to our good friend Art, would be in terms of enhanced amenities and improved features and possibly some of the technical specs. Now, regarding Mazda, I can’t really say, because oddly, I have no communications with Mazda Philippines lately. I’m sorry but I guess I can’t help you out with that one.

Another regular reader of our column, Mr. Joel Cueva, wrote in to get tips on how to effectively buy used cars.

I know that this is an issue of wide concern, Mr. Cueva "The Fly", as you would like to call yourself and I have run a series on this some years back as a public service in this column for our readers who may be contemplating on purchasing a second hand car. So, in response I’ll just probably have a series again on this on our Motoring Tip of the Week segment of our column. Just watch out for it.

Motoring Tip of the Week

With the storms and typhoons that are typical of our country’s wet season, chances are you would find yourself driving through flooded streets within the metro. We’ll run a series on how to drive safely through the floods on our column. And to aptly start it, the first tip or reminder that we have for motorists during such a situation is to immediately but safely slow down as you approach a flooded street. And this is for several reasons; first of which is that splashing through the flood would exposed your "electricals" unnecessarily even if the water level is low and second is that when you come rushing into the flood waters there is this chance of getting all the pedestrians around wetter than they already are wading through the floods and stand the chance of getting their ire. Remember, you can’t even run fast in a flooded street should they ran after you.

Happy Motoring!!!

For Comments: (e-mail) motoringtoday-star@stv.com.ph.