A speeding pick-up struck some concrete barriers while traversing an area of Marcos Highway, also known as Marikina-Infanta Highway, ahead of the LRT-2 Santolan Station in the wee hours of Tuesday, April 8.
Automotive publication VISOR on Wednesday, April 9, posted dashcam footage of a Toyota Hilux traveling the eastbound portion of the highway in Pasig City when it suddenly hit some barriers meant for a U-turn slot.
“Magandang umaga. Sana mapansin, baka may mabiktima pa sa barrier na ‘to sa Marcos Highway,” sender Jeffrey Crisostomo was quoted as saying by the publication on its Facebook page.
The dashcam initially shows the Hilux going at 97 kilometers per hour (km/h) and then at 100 km/h.
It then increases its speed by up to 107 km/h before slowing down to 99 km/h as it hits the barriers.
VISOR also posted some pictures sent by Crisostomo following the “self-accident,” which the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) attributed to “human error.”
The sender said he was penalized for over P6,500.
“Ang saya dito sa atin. Muntik ka nang mamatay, tapos ikaw pa ang may kasalanan,” Crisostomo was quoted as saying by the publication.
VISOR also posted a photo of Crisostomo’s vehicle following the collision, which sustained damages on its front passenger side.
The publication likewise shared a screengrab of the maximum speed the Hilux was going before the accident, as recorded by the dashcam.
“Kaya naman pala,” VISOR wrote in the comments with a hand-over-mouth emoji.
Other social media users also noticed the pick-up’s speed displayed on the dashcam and called out the driver for the incident.
Some also noticed that the vehicle was not staying in one lane.
In the video, the broken white lines on the highway switched to a solid white line before the accident.
A broken white line indicates a driver can cross it when overtaking or changing lanes. Otherwise, they are supposed to stay in their lane as much as possible.
Meanwhile, a solid white line indicates that a driver is discouraged from overtaking or changing lanes unless the way is clear.
“Almost 100 km/h takbo mo, nasa gitna ka pa ng 2 [two] lanes. Tapos nagtaka ka pa pinagbayad ka. Ano ba akala mo sa mga linya na ‘yan, suggestions lang? Hindi ‘yan connect the dots, ui!” a Facebook user wrote in response to the video.
“Siguro kung mas mabagal ka lang [nang] onti, nabasa mo ‘yung ‘U-turn slot, 100 mts [meters] away,’ or siguro kung pinuna mo lang ‘yung biglang naging solid line na ‘yung binabaybay mo. Then again, ‘di ko alam reason ng speed mo, malay ko kung ambulansya dala mo,” another online user commented.
“Complaining won’t change the fact that the system is broken. This video shows a driver with zero awareness, speeding at 100 [km/h] and taking up two lanes,” wrote a different Pinoy.
“Marami talaga masisira, pati sasakyan mo, sender, kasi kamote ka rin mag-drive, overspeeding ka (106 to 107 km/h sa Marcos Highway, which is not an expressway) tapos wala ka pa sa tamang linya,” another online user said.
Crisostomo also commented that he was not lane straddling but attempting to switch lanes.
“[Two] lane dinaanan kong tulay sa tapat ng SM Marikina. After ng tulay, [four] lane na, palipat talaga ko ng lane,” he responded to an online user.
Other motorists who traverse the area have also taken note of the lack of appropriate lighting on the road, as well as the lack of “reflectors” in the barriers.
“Dami naaaksidente diyan. Btw, isa na ako sa naaksidente diyan. May fault ako, pero to be fair, madilim at malabo [or] sira ‘yung early warning device nila. Nagsisisihan pa ‘yung MMDA at DPWH when we tried to file a complaint,” a Facebook user wrote.
“Ganyan lahat ng barrier sa mga U-turn slot sa Marcos Highway, ni wala man lang reflector, kaya kung bago ka dadaan diyan, bulaga [talaga] aabutin mo diyan, hindi [ka pa] mapakali sa lane mo!” another Pinoy said.
In an update, Crisostomo claimed that reflectors had already been installed in the concrete barriers in the area.
About that speed
Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, states that passenger cars can go for 80 km/h at most in “open country roads with no blind corners not closely bordered by habitations.”
Meanwhile, they can only go for 40 km/h maximum on “thorough streets or boulevards, clear of traffic, with no ‘blind corners’ when so designated.”
On some expressways, cars can go for 100 km/h. However, they can only go up to 80 km/h on certain expressways like the NAIA Expressway and the straight sections of Skyway Stage 3.
Marcos Highway, where the pick-up had an accident, is not an expressway.
An expressway is a high-speed, limited-access thoroughfare with interchanges and is specifically designed for long-distance travel. It has no traffic lights and intersections to make such travel faster.
These roads have toll fees that motorists need to pay to access the expressway.
Highways, on the other hand, are major roads that connect cities, towns, and other areas. Unlike expressways, it allows multiple points of entry and exit and does not collect fees.
It may also have traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, and intersections, leading to slower traffic flow than expressways. As such, its maximum speed limit may be lower compared to expressways.
