Today, the country mourns the loss of former president, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino. The 15th President of the Philippines passed away this morning. He was 61 years old.
While many of our readers may not think PNoy cared much for riders, he was actually signed into law one of the key motorcycle safety laws of the country.
In the Philippines, the motorcycle has become more than just a means of transportation. It serves transport needs for errands, going to school bus, a workhorse for business, and in extreme cases (which we do not condone), the motorcycle has also become the family van. It's still possible to see a father, mother, as well as children, all riding together on a small motorcycle.
With the rise in the number of motorcycles on the road, so has the number of accidents. To protect the welfare of children, former president, Noynoy Aquino, signed Republic Act 10666 into law in 2015, or about a year before he stepped down from Malacañang.
RA 10666 or the Children’s Safety on Motorcycles Act of 2015, made it unlawful for any motorcycle rider to carry a small child (let alone children) onboard motorcycles if the child is unable to reach the footpegs or is unable to fully wrap their arms around the driver’s waist.
The law also makes it illegal to let a child ride a motorcycle if he or she is not wearing a standard motorcycle helmet.
The law covers all public roads, especially roads where there is a large volume of traffic, high density of fast-moving vehicles, or where the speed limit is more than 60kph. An exception applies only to cases where the child to be transported requires immediate medical attention.
Violators may face a penalty of up to PhP10,000 as well as revocation of their privilege to drive a vehicle.
While many still defy this law, RA10666 finally gave law enforcers the teeth to penalize erring motorcycle riders who continue to transport small children onboard motorcycles, thus saving the lives of many young ones from possible accidents and loss of life. For this, we thank you, former president, Noynoy.
