The dangers of cycling in the Philippines
Manila may be filled with cars, but its roads are also occupied by a smaller unit — the cyclist.
Cars are undoubtedly the main occupants of the road. Day in, day out, cars are roaming the city, causing traffic, helping people get places. Taking up a considerably large amount of space, they would, most of the time, either be in the way or too close to cyclists.
Ever been on your bike and almost get hit by a car, jeepney or maybe even a motorist? One would wonder who really is at fault when such circumstances happen — is it the motorist? The cyclist? They vary per situation but there is something we can do to avoid more near-death incidents on the road. How, you ask? By sharing it responsibly.
Share the Road, a cyclist’s mantra
If you’re fortunate enough to see cyclists wearing uniform dri-FIT jersey shirts, one common phrase usually inked on the back would be “Share the Road”. But sadly, it seems the message fails to get across. There are still a number of bike accidents and deaths that come from collisions with cars and motorists. We can only do so much to let the drivers and motorists understand the true meaning of this phrase. In other countries however, they take this quite seriously.
Amsterdam. The bicycle capital of the world. How did they get there? To put it shortly, there were a lot of activism involved. Feel free to read more about it here. But, for us Filipinos, is rallying really the answer? To help people understand what dangers cars and motorists alike can inflict on us cyclists? Perhaps not, there are other ways we can be safe on the road.
We can decrease our likelihood of getting hit by:
- Staying a safe distance of 1 metre from cars
- Observing and obeying traffic rules
- Looking both ways before crossing and making sure you have enough space for yourself when you’re on the side of the road
- Using hand signals when turning
- Wearing a sturdy helmet
- Making sure we have lights/blinkers and reflectors when cycling out at night
If we wanted to take it a step further we could also focus on:
- Exposing ourselves more on social media (sharing pictures, videos, experiences about cycling in the city)
- Participate in cycling events (be it sponsored or just a group ride)
- Have a talk with motorist groups
The best we can do is find ways to help them understand our end, because until drivers understand the safety of cyclists on the road, we are still in great danger of getting hit. Let’s do our part and educate them so that we may have safer roads to cycle on. I’m not saying activism is bad, just that it’s not for everyone.
