Dagupans helmet law help instill road discipline

By January 25, 2009Inside News, News

A Dagupan City ordinance requiring motorcycle riders here to wear crash helmets, not only proved to be a lucrative revenue source for the local government, but has also been effective in instilling road discipline.

Records of the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) showed 1,700 violators were arrested and fined for a total collection of P850,000 since the start of the ordnance’s implementation on November 25.

POSO chief Robert Erfe-Mejia said an average of 50 violators were arrested from November 25 to December 31 last year but the number has declined to 20 per day since the new year.

He attributed the decline to the strict enforcement of the ordinance.

Each violator is fined P1,500, applicable to both the driver or the backrider.

“We are actually more concerned about the safety of the motorcyclists. It is important that both the driver and the backrider wear protective headgears always,” Mejia said.

In enforcing the helmet ordinance, POSO also found that a big number of the violators had no licenses or their licenses have expired. Others were found to be riding unregistered motorcycles.

Commenting on the big number of violators so far arrested, Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. said the arrest of motorcycle riders without crash or safety helmets “is proof of our continuing resolve to ensure road safety in Dagupan”.

City ordinance No. 1922-2008, titled “Supplementary Rules on the Use of Motorcycle Helmets”, requires the wearing of a safety helmet as an effective way of reducing head injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle accidents.—LM

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