50 motorists caught at the start of 60-100 kph speed limit on SLEX

In a span of five hours, authorities on Friday apprehended more than 50 drivers for violating the newly enforced speed limit at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). The speed limit of 60 to 100 kilometers per hour was enforced at 6 a.m., according to a report on GMA News TV's Balitanghali by Lei Alviz. Aside from being issued a traffic ticket, the license of a driver caught traveling beyond or below the limit would be confiscated. Almost all the motorists apprehended on Friday were over-speeding, except for two drivers who were traveling below the limit.

The speed limit was put in place to further cut down the number of road accidents happening on the busy SLEX, which serves around 200,000 vehicles daily, the report added. With the help of stricter monitoring, road accidents on the SLEX went down from a monthly average of around 200 in 2010 to just 60 during the first quarter of 2011, the same television report said. During the second quarter of the year, the monthly average further went down to just 40 accidents. "For me, [the speed limit] is okay specially sa truck and buses, mayroon talagang umaabuso. Eh kapag babaeng driver ka, it's really difficult kapag sobrang bilis nila," a female driver said on the television report. — Mark Merueñas/LBG/RSJ, GMA News