Solon wants mandatory re-education program for drivers

In a bid to inculcate road discipline and ensure road safety, a lawmaker wants motorists from both the public and private sectors to undergo a driver re-education program once every five years.

Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor has filed House Bill 3196 that seeks to require all driver's license holders to undergo and complete a one-day Mandatory Driver's Re-education Program as a requirement for the renewal of their licenses.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview on Sunday, Defensor pointed out that thousands of Filipinos die from road-related accidents each year mostly because drivers do not exercise discipline on the road.

"Isinusulong ko itong batas para mabigyan ng pagkakataong kada limang taon bago tayo makapag-renew ng lisensya na ang lahat, pampubliko man o pribado, ma-reorient at ma-reeducate para maging solusyon tayo sa trapiko," he said.

"[Ito ay para rin] makaiwas tayo sa namamatay sa daan at aksidente, at yung maliliit na bagay na naidudulot nang pagkakulang sa disiplina ay maiiwasan natin," he added.

According to Defensor, it is the government's failure that many motorists lack discipline. He said that some drivers got their licenses without even knowing how to drive properly or having knowledge on basic traffic rules and regulations.

"May responsibilidad ang gobyerno na paigtingin ang pagsuri ng mga binibigyan ng lisensya na dapat hindi lang marunong magmaneho kundi may tamang disiplina," he said.

The driver re-education program, however, will not work without the coordination of the drivers and the citizens themselves, Defensor noted.

"May kanya-kanya tayong obligasyon, dapat i-push natin ang gobyerno na tuparin ang pag-implementa ng batas. Tayo din naman dapat ay matuto ng tamang disiplina at kaalaman sa daan," he said.

Under House Bill 3196, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Strategic Planning and Policy Group, along with the Traffic Safety Division, is tasked to formulate the modules for the Mandatory Driver's Re-education Program with the following subjects:

•     basic LTO policies;
•     road safety;
•     road rage, anger management and attitudinal driving;
•     traffic signs and road pavements; and
•     other subject areas as the LTO may deem appropriate in instilling road discipline among drivers such as driver alertness, defense driving, speed awareness, change course and the like.

A minimal fee may be charged for the conduct of the program, to compensate expenses for training materials, snacks, per diems of lecturers and facilitators, rental of venue and sound systems, and other miscellaneous or incidental expenses.

The program fee for government officials and employees will be shouldered by their respective agencies, while those for drivers of private companies and family drivers will be shouldered by their employers. All other drivers will pay for their own fees.

Government officials and employees holding LTO-issue driver's licenses will undergo the program first within one year of the measure's effectivity. Drivers holding professional license will follow them within two years, and those holding non-professional license will succeed them within three years. —Erwin Colcol/LBG, GMA News