EDITORIAL - Yellow means go faster

This must be one of the earliest lessons taught in Philippine schools: red means stop, green means go, and yellow means… go faster. Even traffic cops learn this lesson early. Beating a red light is a clear violation of traffic rules; running a yellow light is a gray area in law enforcement. With too many other traffic problems to deal with in Metro Manila, the typical traffic cop prefers to look the other way when a motorist runs a yellow light, or even a red one. And the typical Filipino motorist has become accustomed to accelerating when the light turns yellow.

A motorist who did this is now deeply regretting his recklessness after the dump truck he was driving smashed into a van on Friday last week in Makati. The accident killed former social welfare secretary Dulce Saguisag; her husband, former senator Rene Saguisag, is recuperating from serious injuries. Some reports said the van driver himself did not wait for a green light, accelerating when the light was still yellow. 

Such driving habits are reinforced by the failure of law enforcement. Running a yellow light isn’t the only thing that drivers in this country do regularly. Signs prohibiting left turns or U-turns at busy intersections are ignored, especially by bus drivers who pay protection money to traffic cops. Major thoroughfares are turned into bus and jeepney terminals by drivers, especially at night when it’s rare to find a traffic cop on duty.

Filipinos who have traveled overseas find it curious to see their compatriots, who routinely break minor laws in the Philippines, turn into law-abiding individuals in foreign lands. This change can only be attributed to the fact that other countries enforce their laws, penalizing even minor violations such as jaywalking and littering.

Old habits are hard to break. If gentle persuasion cannot work to change the habits of Filipino motorists, the state should compel compliance with the law. Installing video cameras in busy intersections to pin down traffic violators is an idea worth pursuing. If there isn’t enough money for this, or if the government is worried about the equipment being stolen, more traffic enforcers should be deployed during busy hours of the day and night. It should be made clear to these traffic enforcers that they are not being deployed as street decoration; they are there to enforce the law.