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Alternative reasons for the rise of SUVs in the Philippines
I recently shared an article about the rise of large vehicles in the US and how they have negatively affected road safety in that country. There are mentions there of the elements that led to people preferring SUVs including the usual technical specifications of SUVs and trucks (what they call the pick-up) that proliferate US roads. These are probably safer for transport from the perspective of the occupants including the driver. However, they are unsafe to other road users especially pedestrians and cyclists. I guess the reasons for owning large vehicles are similar for the Philippine case but there are other stories and reasons behind the preference of large vehicles in many parts of the country. A couple of these are quite common reasons that has nothing to do with people having car-centric mindsets. The latter is probably far from their consciousness.
One reason for preferring larger vehicles is practicality. I first encountered this reason during vacations in Iloilo in the 1970s and 1980s. People had pick-ups and owner type jeeps built for the rough roads at the time. Cars would not have survived the road conditions with the shock absorbers and tires being the first to go. This would probably be the same reason in other provinces as well. The unpaved and poorly maintained roads necessitated pick-ups and the SUV models of those times. Eventually, these evolved into the Pajeros, Patrols and Land Cruisers and later the Monteros, Everests and Fortuners. Add to these the AUVs (e.g., Innova, Adventure, etc.) that also became preferences depending on the affordability to people.
Another reason for preferring larger vehicles is not just about practicality but survival. People from flood prone areas tend to have larger or taller vehicles. Ground clearance is a criteria for vehicles as these have to be able to navigate flooded highways and streets. Most flash floods are probably ankle or gutter deep. But there are more severe situations where floods can be knee or waist-deep. And so people preferred vehicles that can get them out of their flooded homes if not get to their not flooded home but via flooded roads. This comes from first hand experience. After Typhoon Ondoy inundated much of Mega Manila, sales of SUVs and AUVs were up. People replaced their vehicles with these rather than regular cars. They generally didn’t transfer homes as many decided to stay as they probably couldn’t afford to get a new hour or have gotten used to the flood situation in their places. Floods, after all, are seasonal and the Ondoys are not so frequent.
The stories or reasons I cited above are real and will probably be attested to by many who share the experiences in flood-prone and/or rural areas. These narratives though have been set aside or dismissed in favor of the car-centric narrative that’s the in thing these days. If we really look more deeply, the failures of infrastructure development, whether pertaining to basic roads or drainage systems, have tremendous impacts on our lives including our preferences for vehicle types or models. In fact, weren’t those also among the questions for resisting electric vehicles? Kaya na niyan ang rough roads? Kaya ba niyan ang ahon? Kaya ba niyan ang baha? Of course, housing location preferences and options (along with affordability) are also factors. Why live in a flood prone area after all? But that’s another topic that I plan to write about as well very soon. I think I wrote something about this here or in my other blog. I should write about it again and probably in light of the flood control projects that have been the hot topics these past months.
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On the rise of large vehicles as preference of car-owners
Here is a quick share of an article I found about the rise of large vehicles including SUVs:
These vehicles have become quite popular and the preference of many vehicle owners in the Philippines as well. Owners will probably cite safety as their primary reason for purchasing these vehicles but other reasons would likely include passenger capacity (e.g., having many members of the household), and practicality (e.g., living in or regularly traveling along flood prone areas, etc.). The concern though is that the increasing numbers of these large private vehicles that includes SUVs and AUVs have probably led to a rise in the number of fatal road crashes involving them and pedestrians. I say probably here because there are no formal studies locally like the one in the article above.
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On accountability, good governance and missed opportunities
Yesterday was the death anniversary of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III whom many fondly called PNoy. His administration saw many fiscal and policy reforms being implemented, resulting in perhaps the best economic performance of the country this century. Of course, they also benefitted from the developments of the previous administration but good sowing cannot result in a good harvest if what was planted was not nurtured to have a good yield in a timely manner. That goes without saying that there were also many low hanging fruits that were not picked for whatever reason the PNoy administration (his people, not necessarily PNoy) had. That included the Cebu BRT project that only recently was partly completed and operational.
Missed opportunities – I always wondered why there were no major infrastructure projects completed during the 6-year term of PNoy. I’m sure someone in the know can refute this but to most people, can we identify a major infra project completed during that time? Were there any new transportation projects like a rail or BRT line completed then? Were there new airports or terminals? Were there tollway projects completed (sections don’t count, we are talking about complete projects)? Any major bridges completed? What were completed mostly were policy and governance related items, particularly those intended to reform a system that was perceived as corrupt and inefficient. It was the same mistake the Cory administration did back in the late 1980s and early 1990s that led to energy and water crisis that the Ramos administration had to address. Of course, that administration had to deal with a lot of political destabilization attempts at the time. That administration had to deal with a lot of projects initiated or in the pipeline by the previous administration, which until now is being regarded as good examples of “what if” for transportation infrastructure. It took a long time, for example, before another mass transit line was constructed in Metro Manila. The reforms now currently being lobbied by various groups could have been done during the PNoy admin but were not. Hopefully, the current administration can catch up given some major players now including the DepDev Secretary were also involved back then.
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On the reduced traffic due to the energy crisis
The past weeks have seen traffic reduced along my usual routes for my commute between my home and workplace. This could be attributed to the energy crisis as, apparently, many have chosen to plan their trips and use other options other than private/personal transportation for their travels. The reduction in traffic is probably due to reduced numbers of private cars and motorcycles as people cut down on unnecessary trips. Of course, most schools are off at this time of the year so that means a significant number of trips are off the roads (and rails in the case of Metro Manila).
My travel time is only about 60 to 70% of the usual during peak hours. And about half during off-peak. That is a significant reduction in travel time and perhaps translates to not just reduced fuel consumption in general but also reduced emissions as well. On weekends, I also observed that there are less motorcycle traffic to and from Antipolo where I reside. I am referring to the groups who usually have their recreational rides during weekends. Did bicycle traffic increase? My observation is that there seems to be an increase for the weekdays but it’s about the same on weekends. Bicycles, after all, are not affected by the fuel price hikes. Perhaps people who can bike opt for the mode instead of their motorized vehicles? The only way to determine if indeed there were significant mode shift is to do surveys. But for now, careful observation not of traffic but travel times will suffice as proof of the easing of traffic due to the crisis.
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On affordable and inclusive mobility in the Philippines
Here’s a quick share of an article from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) about affordable and inclusive mobility. The observations and conclusions are actually familiar because these have been articulated before when the topics were brought up in the context of environmentally sustainable transport (EST).
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Article share: Why Complete Streets Design Benefits Everyone
Here is another quick share of an article; this time on Complete Streets. I guess many are aware of the AI-generated street transformations that are now being shared across many social media platforms. These show street transformations of many sections and intersections.
Source: Why Complete Streets Design Benefits Everyone
Again, it is important to have context sensitive solutions. This extends to street transformations. Some may look cool (AI tools have enabled non-architects, non-engineers, etc. to produce nice renderings) but should be tempered for the street or highway functions as well as the actual volume of people and vehicles running along these.
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Article share – My provocative proposal: Want a roadway safety movement? Ditch the engineers.
Here’s a quick share of an article on who should be involved in road safety:
Source: My provocative proposal: Want a roadway safety movement? Ditch the engineers.
On reducing deaths due to road crashes
Following is a link to an article on the increase in road crash-related deaths in Singapore. The city state prides itself as one of the safest places in terms of transportation yet road crash deaths recently hit a 10-year high.
From the article:
“Cellphone-related driving violations surged 39.1% to 4,193 cases, the report showed. Motorcyclists, who make up just 15% of Singapore’s vehicle population, accounted for 54.8% of all traffic accidents and 53% of fatalities.
Speeding violations jumped 25.9% to 253,550 cases, equivalent to roughly 695 motorists caught daily. While speeding-related fatal accidents dipped from 46 to 41, red-light running accidents surged 27.1% to 122, resulting in seven deaths. Drink-driving accidents fell from 166 to 156, but the number of fatal drink-driving accidents held steady at 12 in both years…
…”Road safety requires a culture of mutual respect and graciousness among all road users,” the police force said. “Simple acts of courtesy, such as maintaining a safe following distance of at least three seconds, giving way to pedestrians, reducing speed near junctions and being patient during peak hours, can create a better road culture.” “
What can we learn from Singapore’s experience? Are we capable and equipped to improve road safety in the Philippines? Can we be more courteous, respectful and gracious in the way we drive or behave as road users?
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On the dangers of drowsy driving
Here’s another quick share of an article on road safety. This one is about drowsy driving, which is said to be more dangerous than drunk driving. Drowsy here is equated to being sleepy – for whatever reasons may have led the driver to be drowsy. Perhaps lack of sleep, fatigue or being simply tired, or maybe due to food or medication he/she took before driving.
Here is the link to the article, which has a link to the report referred to in the article:
https://www.ghsa.org/news/drowsy-driving-new-data-analysis
From the article:
“…several strategies to combat this dangerous behavior:
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Start with prevention: Promoting healthy sleep habits for everyone – especially for teens as they begin their driving journey – is essential. Drivers should practice good “sleep hygiene,” which includes sleeping in a quiet, cool, device-free environment and avoiding caffeine or alcohol before bed.
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Vehicle technology that’s available now: Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features can monitor for telltale signs of drowsiness (like yawns or long blinks) and issue visual, auditory or haptic alerts to tell drivers to take a break. Notably, none of the current systems prevent a driver from ignoring them and continuing to drive, or from turning them off entirely.
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Change the culture at work and school: Employers should implement responsible scheduling and travel policies to minimize fatigue. School districts can consider shifting high school start times later in the day to help teens get more rest. One study of high school student drivers found significantly lower crash rates with a later school start time.
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Build more, smarter infrastructure: Infrastructure changes such as rest stops, rumble strips and cable median barriers can help prevent drowsy driving, wake drivers up or reduce the severity of a run-off-the-road crash.”
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On at-grade crossings and footbridges
Here’s a quick share of an article on how at-grade crossings are generally better and preferred over footbridges:
When Footbridges Cost Lives and At-Grade Crossings Save Them
The article effectively articulates the case for at-grade crossings and presents the facts and references in support of these crossings. I will only add here that context is still important along with an appreciation or understanding of the volume of traffic and occupancy of vehicles along the roads. Commonwealth Avenue, for example, requires footbridges but there should be better designs for these footbridges than the current ones along this highway. I think we lack good designs that we can refer to and this leads to a summary dismissal of footbridges where they are actually most suitable.
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Caught (up) in traffic 