Bill criminalizing road rage filed in House of Representatives
House Majority leader Sandro Marcos filed a bill before the House of Representatives seeking to tighten penalties for road rage.
According to a Philippine STAR report, the eldest Marcos son, who represents the 1st district of Ilocos Norte, authored House Bill 8190, or the proposed Anti-Road Rage Act, with the objective of distinguishing between regular traffic violations and intentional road rage acts that endanger lives.
"We cannot allow road rages to continue on our roads. One reckless decision can turn into a lifelong tragedy for an innocent family," Marcos said.
“The goal is accountability that is both punitive and corrective, especially in a climate where viral road rage videos often normalize intimidation and escalate copycat behavior," he added.
In the proposed bill, road rage includes intentional and aggressive acts made by a driver or occupant as a reaction to a traffic-related incident done to "intimidate, threaten, harass, retaliate against, or cause harm" to a fellow road user, thereby openly endangering them and their property.
More specifically, these acts include driving recklessly that it puts to risk another motorist or passenger, using a vehicle to intimidate or pursue, and reacting to a traffic incident by threatening or assaulting another person.
The proposed bill, which criminalizes road rage, seeks to "tighten the penalties for aggressive and retaliatory driving," said Marcos. In doing so, according to him, it should send a firm message that "public roads are not arenas for intimidation, threats, and violence."
According to the Philippine News Agency, if road rage is committed but does not result in damage, injury, or death, violators of the bill may face one-year imprisonment or a fine of P100,000, or both.
If, however, the road rage act results in property damage or physical injury, the violator may be imprisoned for up to four years or fined up to P200,000, or both.
Marcos added that with the clearer definitions, enforcers and prosecutors can better determine patterns involving road pursuit, obstruction, and violent threats.
