THE rise in series of road accidents in Pangasinan resulting in instant bloody deaths of both motorcycle riders and their back riders should already be a cause for alarm for the provincial and local government officialdom and the provincial police.

While the move of the Dagupan City government and city police station to set up checkpoints along the city’s main highways and avenues for the strict enforcement of R.A. 1058 (An Act penalizing persons driving under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs and similar substances), is a positive response, it can only be viewed as a limited, band-aid solution to minimize road accidents involving motorcycle riders in the city.

The bigger problem stems largely from failure of the police and LTO agents to consistently strictly enforce other laws related to motorcycle riding, from wearing helmets, shoes (not slippers or sandals), limiting number of back riders, etc. in the province. The list can be found in LTO Administrative Order No. AHS-2018-013.  We wonder how many policemen are even aware of that LTO A.O.  and R.A. 1058!

The Guico provincial administration should, for a change, consider initiating something to protect lives, specifically, mapping out a strategy in collaboration with the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office and the LTO regional office to forestall reckless motorcycle riding on the highways before more lives are maimed or lost and properties destroyed by undisciplined riders.

The recent accident involving teenagers riding a motorcycle with “garong” (sidecar) resulted in the complete disfigurement of the face of one of the victims. We were tempted to publish the picture to confront the mindless reckless riders with the situation that could very well be their faces but ethical journalism practice dictates, we shouldn’t.

To a large extent, the motorcycle accidents can be likened to bloody and gory accidents from irresponsible lighting of illegal firecrackers during New Year revelry. If our police are alerted about the strict enforcement of the law on the sale and lighting of firecrackers, they should be just as alert on seeing reckless motorcycle riders on the streets and highways.

Unless and until our police and local officials act today, the next dead victims could be their relatives and friends, if not themselves, the motorcycle-riders among them.

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