Saturday, August 09, 2008 Over 1,000 nabbed for 'no helmet' violation By Gil Alfredo B. Severino
THE city of Bacolod is around P150,000 richer with the arrest of more than 1,000 violators of the newly-implemented ordinance requiring motorcycle riders to wear crash or safety helmets.
Bacolod City Police Office-Traffic Management Unit (BCPO-TMU) chief Levy Pangue said after seven days of implementing City Ordinance 466-2008, more than a thousand motorists were already apprehended.
Authored by City Councilors Catalino Alisbo and Wilson Gamboa Jr., Ordinance 466 started implementation last August 1.
First-time violators are penalized P150 and given a citation ticket while P500 and citation ticket for the second offense.
Third-time offenders will have their drivers' licenses suspended for 30 days. They will also be fined P1,000 and will undergo seminar on traffic rules and regulation with the Land Transportation Office or BTAO.
As per the ordinance, "wearing a safety helmet is the single most effective way of reducing head injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle accidents and fatal death of riders."
It amended Ordinance 1548-1979, explaining that the old measure "was implemented for almost 28 years and outmoded in events of time by the invention of fast growing motorcycle as a mode of transportation."
"The proliferation of motorcycles on the City streets explain why motorcycles are the second most common type of vehicles involved in traffic accidents next to automobiles," the new ordinance added.
It was reported earlier that as per the BCPO-TMU record, there were some 53 fatalities from 1,203 motorcycle accidents that occurred in Bacolod in the last 18 months ending June 2008.
Records showed there were 809 motorcycle accidents in 2007 with 37 deaths and 394 accidents with 16 fatalities in the first six months of 2008.
Meanwhile, Ordinance 465-2008 or the Child Safety Motorcycle Ordinance would also be implemented starting August 15.
The law prohibits motorcycle riders in allowing children below seven years old to ride with them.
Alisbo said: "Some parents who allow or permit their child as rider of the motorcycle without regard to the safety and welfare of the child shall be liable under the Child and Youth Welfare Code, Presidential Decree 603 as amended."
Penalties include citation, issuance of traffic ticket and warning for the first offense; P100 fine and citation for the second offense and revocation of driver's license and payment of P500 fine for the third offense.
"We are therefore raising warning to all motorcycle riders not to carry children below seven years old as tandem riders," said Pangue.
