PHILIPPINES - Iloco Norte requires e-bike riders to wear reflective vests
The Iloco Norte provincial police on December 16 began requiring riders of motorbikes, bicycles, tricycles, e-bikes and farm machinery travelling on the province's national highways to wear high-visibility or reflective vests, including their pillion riders, in a bid to enhance safety measures to reduce road accidents.
The law says riders will be required to wear the high visibility or reflective vests between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The law comes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, and until then the government will work to expand the information dissemination phase of the law, which is the period when riders will not be penalised for violating the law, but instead will be given a reflective vest distributed by the government.
Major Antonio Mazan, spokesman for the police of the province of Iloco Norte, said that it is not necessary to wear a standard vest, anything that can be used as a reflector, worker's belts, safety vests, rider's vests, reflective rider's jackets will do.
Riders will be penalised for violations on and after 1 January 2024 with the following penalties First violation: fine of P500 or three days of community service Second violation: fine of P1000 or five days of community service Third and subsequent violations: fine of P1500 or seven days of community service The number of road accidents is increasing at an alarming rate, with the period from 1 January to 6 December 2023 222 accidents occurred during this period. While the new regulations were introduced to ensure the safety of motorists, residents also pointed out the need for the government to equip the province's national roads with good lighting to improve visibility at night.
In a social media post, accountant and local resident Jonathan Fernandes suggested that law enforcement officers should step up their efforts to conduct mandatory inspections of wheeled vehicles to ensure that lights are well-lit and do not dim. According to the latest data from the Office of Land Transport, there is an average of 37 road traffic accidents per day in the Ilogo region, 50 per cent of which involve motorbikes, and the Provincial Council said the decree was enacted in order to reduce the number of accidents that lead to personal injuries and even deaths, and to be able to strengthen protective measures to promote safe travelling.
Indeed, now that e-bikes are becoming more and more popular, we should not forget safety when enjoying them.
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21th/12/23