So we have a new president and we’ll be dealing with a new set of strategies on how the new administration will be dealing with our traffic, travel, and driving woes. Regardless of those new policies they’ll set in place, I maintain that a whole lot can be changed if drivers make the little things matter. Here are three little things that would make a whole lot of difference if we just all do it.
Using your turn signal lights
It’s one of the most annoying non-habits of Filipino drivers. Really. How hard is it to flick a switch? You don’t even have to use you whole arm to do it.
Most modern cars’ turn signal levers can be set with a flick of a finger. If you can fiddle with your radio (or forbid, your phone), flip the bird at other motorists, or dig out boogers while behind the wheel, you can do it.
Too bad it’s really not a case of being physically able, it’s more of the mindset of being courteous enough to inform other motorists that you’d like to change lanes or turn.
Staying in your lane
Speaking of lanes, how hard is it to keep your vehicle within those painted lines? Granted that the DPWH or local government probably scrimped on quality reflective paint and cats eyes but most roads in the metro have them. But why do we still encounter drivers straddling two lanes or even creating their own.
Not to mention those bastards who just drift or abruptly change lanes just because they feel that the other lanes are faster. PUJs are especially (I’m staring at you, patok jeeps of Marcos Highway) guilty of doing this but private vehicles are just as guilty.
Even Waze gives you ample notice if you need to turn or exit so there’s no need for you to constantly shift lanes. If you need to shift lanes to turn or exit, then I refer you back to the first little thing – flick the goddamn turn light switch.
Performing zipper merges
Studies have confirmed that if drivers are to alternate when merging, traffic would not be as backed up as what we usually experience. And yet Filipino drivers have zero concept of bigayan. I don’t get why pride becomes such an issue when (not) letting people merge.
One such area that experiences this is that spot along C5 right after FVR road and Boni Serrano merge into C5. So you have three lanes from FVR road and two lanes from Boni Serrano merging into four lanes at the intersection and then to two lanes right at the U-turn slot. Traffic gets backed up all the way to Marikina just because drivers don’t alternate when merging.