The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said that 529,578 motorists were apprehended in 2023 as the agency intensified the implementation of road safety and other traffic laws.
Buckle up for safety
Among the top apprehensions that the LTO recorded last year violates the Seat Belt Use Act or Republic Act (RA) 8750. However, the LTO did not provide a detailed rundown as to how many motorists violated the said law as of this writing.
The Seat Belt Use Act or RA 8750 has been in effect since 1999. It states that drivers and front seat passengers of private and public motor vehicles should always wear “seat belt devices while inside a vehicle of running engine on any road or thoroughfare.”
RA 8750 also states that front and back seat passengers of private vehicles (except for jeeps, jeepneys, vans, and buses) are required to use their seat belts at all times.
It also mentioned that the driver of a public motor vehicle is required to immediately inform and require the front seat passengers to wear seat belts upon boarding. Any passenger who refuses to wear seat belts “shall not be allowed to continue his/her trip.”
Safety first
A minimum fine of Php 100 up to Php 1,000 will be slapped for the first offense while a minimum of Php 200 to Php 2,000 will be given for the second offense. For the third offense, the fine is a minimum of Php 500 to Php 5,000 as well as suspension of driver's license for one week.
Aside from the Seat Belt Use Act, the LTO said that included in the common reasons for apprehensions last 2023 are violations of the Clean Air Act (RA 8749) and overloading.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista and LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II instructed all Regional Directors to maintain the visibility of the agency’s traffic enforcers in order to apprehend erring motorists.
“The mere presence of our uniformed personnel on the roads already encourages motorists to observe discipline. So we want the presence of our personnel on the road further intensified because observance of traffic discipline translates to road safety,” said Mendoza.
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