One
of the most beautiful views in Bantoc are the winding roads of Ifugao and
Mountain Province because it offers a breathtaking view of the
Cordilleras. Promoting this to be an
eco-tourism destination would be easier if the road is made safer. The road connecting Banaue to Bontoc and
Sagada was improved but remains treacherously contracted and unlit. There are threats like heavy fog and
landslides, moreover driving at night or in the rain are discouraged.
Early
Friday morning, a Florida Trans passenger bus with 40 passengers that set out
from Sampaloc, Manila plunged into a ravine 120 meter deep while passing a
steep stretch road in Sitio Paggang, Barangay Talubin. Friday evening it was confirmed that 14 out
40 passengers were killed including the comedian, Arvin “Tado” Jimenez. Officials announced an investigation
into the cause of the accident; and as always, results of the probe would
doubtfully lead to dramatic improvements in ensuring road transportation safely.
As
usual, bus operators will continue to be tightfisted on having a regular
maintenance of their vehicles – resulting to frequent tire blowouts and
breakdown of brakes. Aside from that,
they will also continue requiring their drivers to go onboard extraordinarily
long drives that led some to take drugs to stay awake. After fatal accidents,
bus operators can have penalties including fines and suspension of the
franchises. But they will also be back in business without changing their
company names.
Recently,
we hear from the news almost every week accidents on roads involving buses.
This is somewhat rapidly increasing. These fatal accidents happened for a
number of reasons that is recurring and monotonous in which many people died
and harmed as a consequence of inexperience, overspeeding, intoxication through
drink or drugs, plain recklessness and sleepiness of drivers or dangerous
roads, sharp curves or steep climbs, wrong infrastructure and lacking of basic
safety devices such as sign warnings.
Whenever
I hear news about these accidents I feel sad that there are many people dying
because of the carelessness of some drivers. There are also some bus companies
that do not take the blame even though it is really their fault. For me, bus companies should be responsible
of these fatal accidents since people
are entrusting to them their lives and this is their line of business.
Bus
operators should always educate, and train their drivers the proper way to road
precautions and discipline. I believe
that teaching their drivers with many approaches in preventing accidents and
proper trainings regarding safe and good driving attitudes and constant
reminders would minimize accidents. Having refresher courses for older drivers
to bring home safe-driving principles and to refresh their knowledge of traffic
law would also help prevent these accidents.
Engineering of vehicles and roads should comprise a regular inspection
for a “warrant of fitness” to ensure that the main components of the vehicle
are safe. Improving the design of the vehicle to give ease of vision and
control to the driver and so reduce the likelihood of injury in an accident and
fitting safety equipment, such as seat belts.
In
conclusion, the editorial article effectively narrates how accidents happen
because of dangerous narrow and unlit roads. With this situation of the roads,
many lives of people are taken away. It
is also an eye-opener to everyone especially to drivers that they should always
be aware, careful and alert when they are driving especially when they are
passing-by a steep, narrow and dark road.
Source: Editorial: Deadly Rides
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