Metro Manila and driving isn’t that complicated.
However, when you're driving on the road, etiquette immediately becomes extremely important. You don’t want to make anyone unsafe, particularly when some of the vehicles you share with Edsa carry women and children on board. There’s no quicker way to attract an instant road rage or worse, the attention of MMDA traffic enforcers.
Unfortunately, many people don’t seem to understand the basic rules of driving. That can result in some appallingly selfish behavior. Don’t be one of those people.
Here's a list of the 10 bad driving habits most people do while on the road; ask yourself which of them you've done already.
1. Parking in PWD (persons with disability) slots and other illegal areas
You've seen them all on social media. But despite those big, bold, 'wheelchair' signs painted in white, drivers continue to park where they shouldn't. This includes red zones along curbs (which you should know early on because they're painted RED), driveways, fire hydrants, footbridges, pedestrian lanes, and so on. Having your car towed can be expensive, so even if you’ve gotten away with illegal parking in the past, you should resist the urge to park “just for five minutes” in restricted areas.
READ: Commuters' Guide To P2P Bus Stations/Routes, Locations, Schedules And Prices
2. Beating the red light (...or beating the yellow light, whatever works for you)
To beat a red light is to narrowly avoid running a red light by accelerating when one sees that the traffic light is about to change to red. If one tries to beat a red light, one risks running it. It's a very unsafe practice, and annoying for those who actually have the green light. There's excitement making it through the green light, but often if you don't make it, it could lead to collisions. Respect the yellow light and slow down when it lights up so you can stop when the red light flashes.
3. Disregarding traffic signs
How many times have you entered a 'one way street' and counterflowed a 'no counterflow/no overtaking' yellow paint? The authorities have a reason why they've placed it there, and there's no reason for you to disregard them even when there's nobody around. You never know when a car or pedestrian might come out of nowhere, or even a traffic enforcer!
4. Going totally blind on 'blind spots'
When you encounter a blind spot, treat it with the most diligent care. Blind spots are dangerous and often cause collisions. Slow down and anticipate, look over your shoulders, check your mirrors and make sure the coast is clear. It's all a blind spot can ask from you.
5. Merging too slow or too fast
We have seen the road signs in fly-overs and underpasses: 'merge slowly', 'yield', or 'merge slowly to left'. Be patient, but not too long. Merging too slow can hold the flow of traffic behind you, and merging too fast can crash you to a speeding car. A good driver knows when to merge slow and when to merge quickly.
6. Improperly using turn signals
Our turn signals is a way to communicate with other cars, so they can stop guessing where you're moving into. Changing lanes without using the turn signals can get the driver behind you all dazed and confused, and he may just ram you from behind as a result.
READ: My Epically Awesome Traffic Jam Day In Edsa, Metro Manila
7. Cutting off the car behind or beside you
When you're late for work or appointment, it's often that you try to clear the road to the point of cutting off other cars. This is downright dangerous and the risk of getting hit from behind or crashing to the car ahead is at 99.9%. Patience is still a virtue, don't get too excited with the time. Being alive is more important than being late.
8. Driving too closely behind another vehicle
We call this tailgating and it can be annoying for both parties. The driver in front is annoyed that the person behind them won’t stay off their bumper, and the driver in the back of him is annoyed that he can’t go any faster. Worse, this can lead to 'brake-checking'— you know, the part when the driver ahead keeps on braking abruptly to antagonize the car behind him. If you really want to go faster than the car in front, just make an overtake. It's just that simple.
9. Over-speeding
We all have done this before. Checking how much muscle our car have or when we just want to feel superior over the others. But this doesn't mean it's okay. Driving way beyond the speed limits is always the cause of many road crashes. We don't want any part of it, I'm sure.
10. Not putting your phone down while driving
Here's what I was talking about in my last post. You may have those fancy 'hands-free' app installed on your car but it won't really make you an inch safer. Under no circumstances should you engage yourself into any other activity while you're driving. Sure, you're not even touching your phone while you're answering that call, but it still gets you distracted. Distracted driving is dangerous driving; it puts you and others at risk. There's even the ADDA law (Anti-Distracted Driving Act) for it. Drop that nasty habit of texting, calling and surfing while behind the wheel.
Have you ever done any of these bad driving habits before?
Share your stories in the comments section below.