Keeping the road safe for hundreds of thousands of Manila commuters

Road safety is one of the top priorities of Shell in the Philippines; hence it has given full support to programmes geared towards educating drivers on defensive driving.

Shell and its social arm – the Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. have partnered with the Philippine Global Road Safety Programme, non-government organisations, international and local agencies, to help reduce road accidents through educational seminars and workshops for drivers, contractors and hauliers. Shell’s initiative is in support of the UN’s declaration of 2011-2020 as Decade of Action for Road Safety.

In September 2011, close to 60 participants composed of public transport, truck and lorry drivers, and safety officers, had practical driving exercises and defensive driving workshops in Manila. The modules focused on Road Behaviour, Social Interaction on the Road, Car Control Skills like Seating Posture and Steering techniques, Following Distance, Road Rage Profiling, Techniques in Cornering and Turning, and Driver’s Attitude.

On June 23, 2012, another round of defensive driving programme was conducted for a large group of tricycle drivers. This was done in partnership with Safe-T Ryders, an organisation founded to educate motorists on road safety.

Hundreds of thousands of commuters in Manila depend on tricycle to ferry them from their destinations. As such, their lives literally depend on the driving skills of tricycle drivers.

Practical driving experiences

During the training, tricycle drivers reviewed the traffic rules and signs, and the Tricycle Regulatory Unit’s policies, which govern all tricycle operations. Moreover, the drivers also experienced an ‘alcohol simulation activity’.

Using fatal goggles, drivers experienced how alcohol impairs one’s vision and balance. Safe tricycle driving is equated to three things: knowledge, skill, and right attitude, the drivers learned.

Alberto Suansing, Philippine Global Road Safety Programme Secretary General said, “We all know that most road accidents are caused by human error. That is why we hope that through these education programmes, drivers will be able to keep our roads safer to hundreds of thousands of commuters. Road safety should be our personal accountability”.

Since majority of public transport drivers in the Philippines did not have formal training on driving, PSFI and Pilipinas Shell, along with their partner organisations, plan to educate more drivers through workshops and specialised training. “Keeping Manila safe is a shared responsibility and Shell is at the forefront in achieving this noble goal,” said Janot Barreto, Social Performance Advisor for Shell Pandacan.

Enquiries:

Roberto Kanapi

Communications Manager

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation

Tel. 63.2.816-6087

Fax 63.2.814-6494