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Traffic Management and Accident Investigation
Definition of Terms:
Traffic is a movement of vehicles along a route where passengers
and cargoes are carried by
transportation.
Traffic Management it comprises all public surfaces , facilities
and agencies having responsibility for
licensing, approving, maintaining and controlling the flow of
traffic and the use of traffic facilities.
Accident (Legal meaning) an accident is any happening beyond the
control of a person the
consequences of which are not foreseeable. ( There is no
criminal liability in accident provided, the
following requisites or elements under the law must be
satisfied; 1.) performance of a lawful act; 2.)
with due care; 3.) causes injury to another by mere accident;
4.) without any fault or intention of causing
it.)
Fortuitous Event an event which takes place by accident and
could not have been foreseen. In other
words it is an Act of God which could neither be foreseen nor
resisted, such as earthquake, lightning,
flood, and the like.
Force Majure is an inevitable accident or casualty, an accident
produced by any physical cause which is
irresistible. In other words it is an Act of Man, such robbery,
fire, fault, negligence, rebellion, etc.
Defensive Driving is an act of driving while preventing
accidents despite of the wrong actions of others
aggravated by the existence of adverse driving conditions. Which
requires knowledge, alertness,
foresight, judgment and skill.
Last Clear Chance - it means that the driver who is in the
better position to prevent the accident
shoulders the responsibility of preventing the accident. The
last clear chance principle is always applied
in any traffic accidental investigation in order to justify
penalized the driver who was not defensive in its
driving.
State of Necessity there is state of necessity even if the
injury to a person results in his death, because
self-preservation always makes the actor feel that his own
safety is greater than that of another.
Elements or requisites under the law; 1.) the evil sought to
avoided actually exists ; 2.) the injury feared
be greater that that done to avoid it; 3.) that there is no
other practical and less harmful means of
preventing it.
Imprudence indicates deficiency of action. If a person fails to
take the necessary precaution to avoid
injury to a person or damage to property, there is imprudence.
Imprudence usually involves lack of skill.
Negligence indicates a deficiency of perception. If a person
fails to pay proper attention to use due
diligence in foreseeing the injury or damage impending to be
caused there in negligence. Negligence
usually involves lack of skill.
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Motor Vehicle shall mean any vehicle propelled by any power
other than muscular power using the
public highways, but exempting road rollers, trolley cars,
street sweepers, bulldozers, graders, fork-lifts,
cranes, vehicles which runs only on rails or tracks, tractors,
trailers, and traction engine.
Articulated Vehicle- shall mean any motor vehicles with a
trailer having no front axle and so attached
that part of the trailer rest upon the motor vehicle and a
substantial part of the weight of the trailer and
of its load is born by the motor vehicle.
Transfer Evidence it is an evidence found at the accident scene
that will connect to the suspected
vehicle and with the crime scene.
Traffic Actuated Signal is controlled by an individual using his
hands in signaling the flow of traffic
wherein traffic shall proceed in accordance with the desire of
the individual controlling the flow of
traffic.
Historical Accounts in Traffic
Sources of Power In Transportation
1. Man Power
2. Animal Power
3. Water and Air Power
4. Petroleum Fuel
5. Bi-fuel, biogas, and Ethanol fuel
6. Hydrogen
7. Electric
Development of Roads
Stone paved streets are found in the city of Ur in the Middle
East dating back to 4000 BC. The Romans
built roads to last. one meter in height, the road was built up
in four layers: slabs embedded in mortar
formed the foundation; masonry made up the second; the third,
finally, the rolling surface could be
simply broken stones, paving stones, or bricks depending on
traffic.
1750 Trsaguet in France and Metcalfe in the UK proposed a method
of construction relying on a firm
well-drained foundation of large rocks topped by progressively
smaller ones, forming a convex surface
to make it more impervious to water.
Around the end of the eighteenth century Telford in the UK
proposed a similarly robust concept,
perhaps too much so for traffic needs (he had been looking
forward eagerly to steam-powered vehicles),
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with the result that it was rather expensive due mainly to its
thickness and very solid foundation,
intended to compensate for unstable roadbeds.
Macadam at the beginning of the 19th century to develop the far
more economical approach which is
still used today in adapted forms, usually with a coating of
bitumen to seal it.
Development of Motor vehicle
One of the most important landmarks in engine design comes from
Nicolaus Otto who in 1876 invented
an effective gas motor engine. Nicolaus Otto built the first
practical four-stroke internal combustion
engine called the "Otto Cycle Engine," and when he completed his
engine, he built it into a motorcycle.
Gottlieb Daimler is thought to have invented the first real
motorcycle in 1885.
The original Benz Patent Motorwagen, first built in 1885 and
awarded the patent for the concept
In 1879, Benz was granted a patent for his first engine, which
had been designed in 1878. Many of his
other inventions made the use of the internal combustion engine
feasible for powering a vehicle.
Key Personalities in Transportation
Ferdinand Verbiest, a member of a Jesuit mission in China, built
the first steam-powered vehicle around
1672 which was of small scale and designed as a toy for the
Chinese Emperor, that was unable to carry a
driver or a passenger, but quite possibly, was the first working
steam-powered vehicle ('auto-mobile')
In Russia, in the 1780s, Ivan Kulibin developed a
human-pedalled, three-wheeled carriage with modern
features such as a flywheel, brake, gear box, and bearings;
however, it was not developed further
Franois Isaac de Rivaz, a Swiss inventor, designed the first
internal combustion engine, in 1806, which
was fueled by a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen
In November 1881, French inventor Gustave Trouve demonstrated a
working three-wheeled automobile
that was powered by electricity
hydrogen powered FCHV (Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle) was developed
by Toyota in 2005
A compressed air car is an alternative fuel car that uses a
motor powered by compressed air. The car can
be powered solely by air, or by air combined (as in a hybrid
electric vehicle) with gasoline/diesel/ethanol
or electric plant. This type of vehicles will be released this
year 2009.
Summary of the Historical Accounts of Transportation
Montgolfier's Hot Air Balloons
Wright Brother's Flyer
Nicolas Joseph Cugnot's steam powered car
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3500 BC Fixed wheels on carts are invented - the first wheeled
vehicles in history. Other early wheeled
vehicles include the chariot.
3500 BC River boats are invented - ships with oars
2000 BC Horses are domesticated and used for transportation.
181-234 The wheelbarrow is invented.
770 Iron horseshoes improve transportation by horse
1492 Leonardo da Vinci first to seriously theorize about flying
machines - with over 100 drawings that
illustrated his theories on flight
1620 Cornelis Drebbel invented the first submarine - an human
oared submersible
1662 Blaise Pascal invents the first public bus - horse-drawn,
regular route, schedule, and fare system
1740 Jacques de Vaucanson demonstrates his clockwork powered
carriage
1783 First practical steamboat demonstrated by Marquis Claude
Francois de Jouffroy d'Abbans - a
paddle wheel steamboat
1783 The Montgolfier brothers invent the first hot air
balloons
1787 Steamboat invented
1769 First self-propelled road vehicle invented by Nicolas
Joseph Cugnot
1790 Modern bicycles invented
1801 Richard Trevithick invented the first steam powered
locomotive (designed for roads)
1807 Isaac de Rivas makes a hydrogen gas powered vehicle - first
with internal combustion power -
however, very unsuccessful design
1807 First steamboat with regular passenger service - inventor
Robert Fulton's Clermont
1814 George Stephenson invents the first practical steam powered
railroad locomotive
1862 Jean Lenoir makes a gasoline engine automobile
1867 First motorcycle invented
1868 George Westinghouse invents the compressed air locomotive
brake - enabled trains to be stopped
with fail-safe accuracy
1871 First cable car invented
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1885 Karl Benz builds the world's first practical automobile to
be powered by an internal combustion
engine
1899 Ferdinand von Zeppelin invents the first successful
dirigible - the Zeppelin
1903 The Wright Brothers invent and fly the first engined
airplane
1907 Very first helicopter - unsuccessful design
1908 Henry Ford improves the assembly line for automobile
manufacturing
1908 Hydrofoil boats co-invented by Alexander Graham Bell &
Casey Baldwin - boats that skimmed
water
1926 First liquid propelled rocket launched
1940 Modern helicopters invented
1947 First supersonic jet flight
1956 Hovercraft invented
1964 Bullet train transportation invented
1969 First manned mission (Apollo) to the Moon
1970 First jumbo jet
1981 Space shuttle launched
Development of Traffic Signs
On 10 December 1868, the first traffic lights were installed
outside the British Houses of Parliament in
London, by the railway engineer J. P. Knight.They resembled
railway signals of the time, with semaphore
arms and red and green gas lamps for night use. The gas lantern
was turned with a lever at its base so
that the appropriate light faced traffic. Unfortunately, it
exploded on 2 January 1869, injuring the
policeman who was operating it
The modern electric traffic light is an American invention. As
early as 1912 in Salt Lake City, Utah,
policeman Lester Wire invented the first red-green electric
traffic lights.
On 5 August 1914, the American Traffic Signal Company installed
a traffic signal system on the corner of
East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.It had
two colours, red and green, and a buzzer,
based on the design of James Hoge, to provide a warning for
colour changes.
Pedestrian Crossing
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The pedestrian crossing were instituted in Britain in 1934. The
roads were marked by dotted lines. On
the pavement there were striped Belisha beacon light poles named
after Britain's Minister of Transport
L. Hore-Belisha. The Zebra crossing with black and white stripes
was developed after the second world
war.
First Box Junction
Box junctions, marked with yellow cross-hatching, were
introduced in London during 1964. The aim was
to prevent traffic blocking junctions when it could not proceed
and this was successful.
First Traffic Police Woman
Police women were used for traffic control duties for the first
time in Paris in 1964. In Delhi we
introduced women traffic police in 1989.
The Motor Car Act
The Motor Car Act of Britain came into force on 1st January
1904. It required that all cars be registered
and carry a number plate, and all motorists to have a driving
licence. But there was no driving test to
pass and the licence was obtained by filing up a form and paying
the fee at a post office. The act made
dangerous driving an indictable offence.
Origin of our Traffic Laws
CONVENTION ON ROAD TRAFFIC
Geneva, 19 September 1949
Components of Traffic Management
Traffic Education comprises all means for public information and
the safety education of both drivers
and pedestrians as to traffic laws and the use of traffic
facilities and an adequate training programs in
traffic control throughout the police unit.
Traffic Engineering that phase of engineering which deals with
the planning and geometric design of
streets, highways and abutting lands, and with traffic operation
thereon, as their use is related to the
safe, convenient and economic transportation of persons and
goods.
Traffic Law Enforcement comprises al police activities in
connection with the direction of traffic,
regulation and education of drivers, determine potential
offenders, constant patrol, giving of assistance
in the prosecution of offenders, investigation of accidents,
follow-up complaints, requesting police
action, warning, summoning or arrest of violators, reporting of
road hazards and obstruction.
Environment
Enactment of Traffic Laws
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Economy
Driver
Professional Driver shall mean every and any driver hired or
paid for driving or operating a motor
vehicle, whether for private use or for public.
Categories of Drivers
1. Tourist
2. International Driver
3. Government
4. Professional
5. Non-professional
6. Student Permit
Classification of Road
1. National Road
2. Provincial Road
3. City Road
4. Municipal Road
5. Barangay Road
6. Private Road
Traffic Control Devices
Traffic Islands are areas within the roadway constructed in a
manner to establish physical channels
through which vehicular traffic is guided, that will segregate
pedestrian.
Kinds of Traffic Islands
1. Divisional and or Pedestrian Barrier
2. Channelizing Island
3. Refuge Island
4. Rotary Island
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Traffic Signs a device mounted on a fixed or portable means of
words or symbols, officially created and
installed for the purpose of regulating, warning and guiding
traffic.
Types of Traffic Signs
1. Regulatory Signs - are intended to inform road-users of
special obligations, instructions or
prohibitions which must comply. A round shape is used for
regulatory signs with exception of stop and
yield signs.
2. Warning Signs - are intended to warn road-users of danger on
the road and to inform them of its
nature. These signs have an equilateral triangular shape with
one side horizontal.
3. Guide or Informative Signs - are intended to guide road-users
while they are traveling or to provide
them with other useful information.
Types of guide signs
1. Route markings is usually found on highways composed of
several lanes which are going into
different direction.
2. Destination and distance signs is usually erected on highway
informing the motorist as to the
number of kilometers and at which way to take going to its place
of destination.
3. Information signs is usually erected on highway which informs
the motorist of the establishments in
the era, such hospitals, restaurants, restrooms, hotels, and
other establishments which provide services
to motorist.
TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHTS
Traffic Light Signals is a power operated traffic control device
by which traffic is warned or directed to
take some specific actions.
Traffic Actuated Signal is controlled by an individual using his
hands in signaling the flow of traffic
wherein traffic shall proceed in accordance with the desire of
the individual controlling the flow of
traffic.
LIGHT: FLASHING RED
1. This is the same as STOP SIGN.
2. STOP at the designated line.
3. Vehicles will be crossing from the other side
4. Expect pedestrians to cross at the pedestrian lane.
5. PROCEED WHEN CLEAR.
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LIGHT: FLASHING YELLOW
1. This is the same as a YIELD SIGN.
2. Proceed through the intersection with caution.
3. You have the right of way over a flashing RED light.
4. Vehicles on the other side will proceed to a FULL STOP.
LIGHT: STEADY GREEN AND STEADY LEFT/RIGHT ARROW
1. Vehicles can go straight or vehicles on the left lane can
make a left turn.
2. Vehicles can go straight or vehicles on the right lane can
make a right turn.
3. The RIGHT GREEN signal might or might NOT have a road sign
disallowing a right turn while the RED
lights is ON.
Most traffic jams are caused when traffic lights are inoperative
either due to brownouts or when they
are out of order.
Whenever you approach a traffic signal light with all its lights
OFF, and there are no traffic enforcers
directing traffic, IT IS SAFER TO SLOW DOWN OR COME TO A
COMPLETE STOP and make certain what
the flow of traffic is.
Too many accidents have happened with drivers on both side is
SUPPOSED TO BE GREEN.
PAVEMENT MARKINGS
Pavement Markings are markings on the roads and surfaces whereby
a message is conveyed by means
of words or symbols, officially reflected for the purpose of
regulating, warning and guiding traffic.
TYPES OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS
1. Curve markings are used to show where parking is legally
prohibited or not allowed, such Bus Stop,
or in front of a fire hydrant, drive way.
2. Object Markings are painted on fixed poles, and on vertical
ends of bridges and ports to avoid
accidents.
3. Reflectorized Markings are used to mark hazardous areas and
also used as delineators or road
limits, these delineators are aids especially during night
driving, particularly when the alignment of a
road changes and might confused the operator of the vehicle.
4. Striped Curb Markings are markings used in traffic islands in
order to warn the driver of the traffic
island on the road and aids the motorist to its traffic
lane.
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5. Painted Crosswalk are placed at intersections and other
places where there is considerable
pedestrians traffic to provide pedestrians with safety zones
when crossing.
6. Broken White Lines is used to define or separate traffic
lanes. It permits crossing from one lane to
another if there is ample passing distance, and if the opposing
lane is clear of traffic.
7. Solid White Line is used to separate opposing streams of
traffic. Crossing is unlawful except where
ample distance exists and where the opposing traffic lane is
clear of traffic.
8. Solid Yellow Line is your driving lane prohibits you from
passing other vehicles.
9. Double Yellow Line indicates two way traffic; were crossing
of pedestrian and motorist is not
allowed. It separates the opposing flow of traffic.
10. Broken Yellow Lines is a two way/highway which means no
overtaking or passing is permitted only
when the road ahead is clear.
11. Stop Line it indicates where stop should be made.
Traffic Enforcement Action
Enforcement action is usual limited to:
1.) verbal or written warning;
2.) summon or citation requiring the offender to appear in
court;
3.) arresting traffic violators for traffic violations not
attended
4.) suspension or revocation of license;
5.) payment of fines or civil damages, and;
6.) prosecution of criminal offenses in relation to traffic.
Functions of Traffic Engineering
1.) Fact finding surveys and recommendation of traffic rules and
regulations.
2.) Supervision and maintenance to the application of traffic
control devices.
3.) Planning of traffic regulations.
Objectives of traffic Engineering
1,) To achieve efficient, safe, free and rapid flow of
traffic.
2.) To prevent traffic accidents and casualties.
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3.) To present the role of traffic engineering in reducing the
needs for police action and simplifying
police performance.
4.) To show that good police action and performance makes
engineering plans effective.
Elements of street and highway traffic
1.) The road user
2.) The vehicle and its load
3.) The road.
Police officers main functions in Traffic
1.) Police traffic directions
2.) Police traffic law enforcement
3.) Police traffic accident investigation.
Elements of traffic accident are;
1.) the vehicle involved
2.) the highway
3.) the road user.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
The primary function of police in traffic is the protection of
life and property, and accident investigation
is very essential in trying to recover the cost of damage in an
accident.
Its purpose are:
1.) securing facts upon which to base an accident prevention
program;
2.) determining responsibility or accident when possible.
Ascertaining the facts of accident so that those
involved can properly exercise claims under our civil law.
The technique of investigating accident is to go back in
reconstructing the accident as far as possible
from the position of final rest of the traffic unit involved and
determine the multiple causes and
circumstances of the accident.
R.A. 4136
Conduction Stickers Issued under AO No. AO-DIR-001 shall be used
exclusively for the transfer, road
test, and demonstration of stocks by manufacturers and dealers
including delivery of the unit to the
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customer by a professional driver employed by manufacturer,
assembler, importer or dealer so
authorized in writing, NOT by the owner or his driver. The
Conduction Stickers validity ceases when the
unit is delivered to the owner
It is NOT A PERMIT to operate an UNREGISTERED vehicle for seven
(7) days in violation of Sec. 5 of RA
4136 which is punishable with a penalty of P450 for the driver
and P90 for the owner under DOTC Order
No. 93-693 and impoundment until the vehicle is registered and
penalties paid accordingly.
Registration Classification of Vehicles
1. Private
2. For Hire
3. Government
4. Diplomatic
Tourists bringing their own motor vehicles to the Philippines
are, however, without registering such
motor vehicles, use the same during but not after ninety (90)
days of their sojourn: Provided, That the
motor vehicle displays the number plates for the current year of
some other country or state, and said
number plates as well as the name and address (permanent and
temporary) of the owner thereof are
registered in the Land Transportation Office prior to the
operation of the motor vehicle.
If such tourist remain in the Philippines longer than ninety
(90) days, the motor vehicle shall not
operated unless registered in accordance with this Act and the
corresponding registration fees paid. (As
amended by PD No. 1057,and by BP Blg. 74, approved June 11,
1980.)
1. No motor vehicle operating as a single unit shall exceed the
following dimensions:
2. Overall width - 2 and five-tenths meters
3. Overall height- 11 meters
4. Overall length:
Freight vehicles
- with two axles - 10 meters
Passenger vehicles
- with two axles - 11 meters
Vehicles with
- three or more axles 14 meters
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No motor vehicle and/or trailer combination shall exceed
eighteen meters in overall projected length,
including any load carried on such vehicle and trailer.
No articulated vehicle shall be allowed to draw or pull a
trailer and no vehicle already drawing a trailer
shall draw another.
Registration Certificates, Records,
Number Plates
Use and authority of certificate of registration.-(a)The said
certificate shall be preserved and carried in
the car by the owner as evidence of the registration of the
motor vehicle described therein, and shall be
presented with subsequent applications for registration,
transfer of ownership, or recording of
encumbrances: Provided, That in lieu of the certificate of
registration a true copy or Photostat thereof
may be carried in the motor vehicle.
Suspension of registration certificate
Any motor vehicle is found to be unsightly, unsafe, overloaded,
improperly marked or equipped, or
otherwise unfit to be operated, or capable of causing excessive
damage to the highways, or not
conforming to minimum standards and specifications, the
Commissioner may refuse to register the said
motor vehicle, or if already registered, may require the number
plates thereof to be surrendered to him,
and upon seventy-two hours notice to the owner of the motor
vehicle, suspend such, registration until
the defects of the vehicle are corrected and/or the minimum
standards and specifications fully complied
with.
Whenever it shall appear from the records of the Commission that
during any twelve-month period
more than three warnings for violation of this Act have been
given to the owner of a motor vehicle, or
that the said owner has been convicted by a competent court more
than once for violation of such laws,
the Commissioner may, in his discretion, suspend the certificate
of registration for a period not
exceeding ninety days and, thereupon, shall require the
immediate surrender of the number plates.
Use of Number plates
At all times, every motor vehicle shall display in conspicuous
places, one in front and one in the rear
thereof, the said number plates.
The number plates shall kept clean and cared for, and shall be
firmly affixed to the motor vehicle in such
a manner as will make it entirely visible and always
legible.
Except in the case of dealers number plates which may be used
successively on various motor vehicles
in stock, no person shall transfer, number plates from one motor
vehicle to another.
No dealers number plate shall be used on any motor vehicle after
said vehicle has been sold and
delivered to a purchaser, and no dealer shall allow such dealers
number plates to be used on any motor
vehicle after its sale and delivery to a purchaser.
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Duty to have license
Operation of motor vehicles by tourists. Bona fide tourists and
similar transients who are duly licensed
to operate motor vehicles in their respective countries may be
allowed to operate motor vehicles during
but no after, ninety days of their sojourn in the
Philippines.
If any accident involving such tourist or transient occurs,
which upon investigation by the Commissioner
or his deputies operate motor vehicles, the Commissioner shall
immediately inform the said tourist or
transient in writing that he shall no longer be permitted to
operate a motor vehicle.
After ninety days, any tourist or transient desiring to operate
motor vehicles shall pay fees and obtain
and carry a license as hereinafter provided.
That no person shall be issued a professional drivers license
who is suffering from contagious diseases,
such as tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases and epilepsy
or who is an alcohol or drug addict or
dependent.
For a professional drivers license, is at least eighteen years
of age, possesses a valid student-drivers
permit and has undergone instruction in the operation of motor
vehicles for at least five months under a
qualified instructor:
For a non-professional drivers license, is at least seventeen
years of age, possesses a valid student-
drivers permit and has undergone instruction in the operation of
motor vehicles for at least a month.
Student-drivers permit. Director or his deputies may issue
student-drivers permits, valid for one year
to persons not under sixteen years of age, who desire to learn
to operate motor vehicles.
A student-driver who fails in the examination on a professional
or non-professional license shall
continue as a student-driver and shall not be allowed to take
another examination at least one month
thereafter. No student-driver shall operate a motor vehicle,
unless possessed of a valid student-drivers
permit and accompanied by a duly licensed driver.
It shall be unlawful for any duly licensed driver to transfer,
lend or otherwise allow any person to
operate to use his license for the purpose of enabling such
person to operate a motor vehicle.
No owner of a motor vehicle shall engage, employ, or hire any
person to operate such motor vehicle,
unless the person sought to be employed is a duly licensed
professional driver. (As amended by BP Blg.
398, May 18, 1983.
Confiscation of drivers license
Law enforcement and peace officers of other agencies duly
deputized by the Director shall, in
apprehending a driver for any violation of this Act or of any
regulations issued pursuant thereto, or of
local traffic rules and regulations not contrary to any
provisions of this Act or of any regulations not
contrary to any provisions of this Act confiscate the license of
the driver concerned and issue a receipt
prescribed and issued by the Bureau
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therefore which shall authorize the driver to operate a motor
vehicle for a period not exceeding
seventy-two hours from the time and date of issue of said
receipt. The period so fixed in the receipt shall
not be extended, and shall become invalid thereafter. Failure of
the driver to settle his case within
fifteen (15) days from the date of apprehension will be a ground
for the suspension and/or revocation of
his license.
The rates of speed hereinabove prescribed shall not apply to the
following
1. A physician or his driver when the former responds to
emergency calls;
2. The driver of a hospital ambulance on the way to and from the
place of accident or other emergency;
3. Any driver bringing a wounded or sick person for emergency
treatment to a hospital, clinic, or any
other similar place;
4. The driver of a motor vehicle belonging to the Armed Forces
while in use for official purposes in times
of riot, insurrection of invasion;
5. The driver of a vehicle, when he or his passengers are in
pursuit of a criminal;
6. A law enforcement officer who is trying to overtake a
violator of traffic laws; and
7. The driver officially operating a motor vehicle of any fire
department provided that exemption shall
not be construed to allow useless or unnecessary fast driving of
drivers aforementioned.
Overtaking a vehicle The driver of any motor vehicle overtaking
another vehicle overtaking another
vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall pass at a safe
distance to the left thereof, and shall not
again drive to the right side of the highway until safely clear
of such overtaken vehicle except that on a
highway, within a business or residential district, having two
or more lanes for the movement of traffic
in one direction, the driver overtaking and passing upon the
right, another vehicle which is making or
about to make a left turn.
Right of Way. (a) When two vehicles approach or enter and
intersection at approximately the same
time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the
right of way to the vehicle on the right, except as
otherwise herein after provided. The driver of any vehicle
traveling at any unlawful speed shall forfeit
any right of way which he might otherwise have hereunder.
The driver of a vehicle approaching but not having entered an
intersection, shall yield the right of way to
a vehicle within such intersection or turning therein to the
left across the line of travel of such first-
mentioned vehicle, provided the driver of the vehicle turning
left has given a plainly visible signal of
intention to turn as required in this Act.
Parking prohibited in specified places
1. Within an intersection
2. On a crosswalk
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3. Within six meters of the intersection of curb lines.
4. Within four meters of the driveways entrance to any fire
station.
5. Within four meters of a fire hydrant.
6. In front of a private driveway
7. On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at the
curb or edge of the highway.
8. At any place where official signs have been erected
prohibiting parking.
M.C NO. 94-188ISSUANCE OF DRIVERS LICENSE TO DISABLED
PERSONS
Applicant must be a holder of a student permit and must have
undergone apprenticeship for at least
thirty days
1. He/she must be at least seventeen years old
2. He/she must submit a medical certificate indicating the
physical and mental state of the applicant
from an accredited LTO Physician or government physician.
3. He/she must pass the written and practical examination.
All physically handicapped persons who passed the qualification
requirements shall be issued a non-
professional drivers license only.
Only the following disabled persons are entitled to secure the
above-mentioned drivers license, to wit:
1. Orthopedically impaired - person with amputated left or right
leg, amputated left or right arm, post-
polio victims with one paralyzed leg either left or right.
2. Partially blind person with no left eye but good right eye
sight or no right eye but with good left eye
sight.
3. Speech and hearing impaired person unable to speak but can
hear or partially Hear.
Orthopedically impaired applicant should only drive the
customized vehicle duly inspected and
registered at LTO Office and duly indicated in the drivers
license. Driving is limited to daytime, which is
from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ACTION
1. Detection
2. Apprehension
3. Prosecution
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4. Adjudication
5. Penalization
TRAFFIC PATROL
Traffic Patrol May be conducted on area or line bases which
refer to the territory covered. It includes,
for enforcement purposes, stationary observation to detect
drivers behavior as well as moving about to
detect violators. Traffic patrol reefers to the observation of
road conditions, the behavior of the drivers
and other users of vehicles for the purpose of traffic
supervision and law enforcement and providing
authorized traffic-connected services to the public.
Line Patrol Conducts observation either in moving or stationary
observation at a certain route or point
of a major street in a city.
Area Patrol Conduct observation either by moving patrol or
stationary observation in a certain area,
which included a number of streets roads or sections of a
highway.
Stationary Observation Observation of traffic conditions of a
selected place, usually one with
unfavorable accident experiences for traffic law supervision.
Stationary observation may be
conspicuous, visible or concealed, depending upon the location
of the patrol unit in relation to the
street under observation.
Conspicuous Observation Stationary observation in which the
observer remains in full review of traffic
conditions.
Visible Observation Stationary observation in which observer is
full view but so located, for example,
at Side Street, so as to require effort on the part of traffic
users to discover the observer.
Concealed Observation Stationary observation in which the
observer is not visible to persons using
ordinary power of observation form the roadway being
observed.
Purpose of Traffic Patrol
1. Deterrent to violations and dangerous driving.
2. Detecting and apprehending violators.
3. Observing and reporting traffic conditions.
4. Observing and reporting road conditions, including view
obstruction, which needs attention.
5. Providing certain services to the public.
Handling emergencies as they arise and keeping traffic flow
smoothly.
Road Intelligence Unusual points of serious congestion must be
noted. You may observe an unusual
amount of delay at a certain intersection each morning and when
you learn that it is due to loading or
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unloading of passengers on a No Loading Zone, be sure to report
the situation at once to your superior
officer.
Report congestion that ties up traffic for a block or more. Also
report unnecessary delay at stop signs or
signals which are installed when traffic is heavier. Include in
your report all road and bridge conditions.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ANALYSIS
1) condition of the motor vehicles involved in the accident;
(2) condition of the drivers at the time of the accident;
(3) load of the vehicle;
(4) weather condition;
(5) characteristics of the road, which involves the design
condition, and inhabitants of the place of
accident; (6) presence or absence of traffic sign and its
condition. All these factors must considered in
order to fully uncover the reasons of the accident, and thereby
provide a factual bases in coming-up
with a traffic prevention program and traffic plans and
programs.
TRAFFIC INVESTIGATION
(1) securing facts upon which to base an accident prevention
program;
(2) determining whether or not laws have been violated,
gathering evidence which will reveal the road
user responsible for the accident, and taking on-the-scene
police action; and
(3) ascertaining the facts so that those involved in accidents
can properly exercise claims under our Civil
Law.
The determining factors of the time and place in Key Events
Key Event means the one which characterizes the manner of the
occurrence of the traffic accident. It
determines the time, place, and type of accident.
Point of Possible Perception is the place and time at which the
unusual or unexpected movement or
condition could have been perceive by a normal person.
Delay in Perception or Perception Time it is the time between
the point of possible perception and
actual perception.
Prompt Perception is the perception of hazard which is actually
nearly the possible accident.
Maximum Delayed Perception occurred when the traffic unit does
not sense a hazard until he hits
another vehicle.
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Point of No Escape is the place and time after or beyond which
the accident cannot be prevented by
the traffic unit under consideration.
Point of Impact is used to mean as the point of initial contact,
sometimes it is considered the point of
maximum engagement or center of force.
Final Position is the place and time when the object involved in
the accident finally come to rest
without application of power.
Chain of Events is the making up of accident or the link which
explains the occurrence of the accident
and its components are present in every accident.
Perception of hazard is the point of sensory warning at which
the operator sensed the approaching
hazard. The driver may not comprehend or recognized the hazard
in all of its implications at this point of
perception, but there was a warning. The normal routine is
perception, realization, or recognition,
decision, and action.
Possible perception - is a link in the accident chain dealing
with the reaction of a normal person. Prompt
perception occurs when possible and actual perception are very
close. Maximum delayed perception
occurs when actual perception is delayed until impact shock
alerts the driver..
Encroachment is the movement of a vehicle into the path assigned
to the other traffic unit.
Evasive Action is the first action taken by a traffic unit to
escape from a collision course or otherwise
avoid the hazard.
Point of no escape is that location and that time after or
beyond which an accident cannot be
prevented by the driver or pedestrian.
Initial Contact it is the first accidental touching of an object
collided with by a traffic unit in motion.
Maximum Engagement is the greatest collapse or overlap in a
collision.
Disengagement is the separation of a traffic unit in motion from
an object with which it has collided.
Final Rest of Stopping it usually stabilizes the accident
situation where both vehicles in a collision has
ceases its force, and stopping may occur with or without control
by the driver or pedestrian
Skidmarks are marks on the road left by tires that are not fee
to rotate usually because brakes are
applied strongly to lock wheels.
Nine (9) Kinds of skidmarks
1. Pavement Grinding is the collection of many fine scratches
and some larger one form by particles of
gritty materials such as stone, gravel, glass and sometimes bit
of metal embedding itself in the rubber of
the tire or in the thread pattern and being ground or scored
against the road surface.
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2. Tire Grinding is the collection of particles of rubber ground
from the tire surface by gritty paving,
especially before the tire gets hot enough smear. It occur on
hard, dry, granular surfaces, particularly
weathered or new but not traffic-polished cement.
3. Erasing is a clean light area where a sliding tire had erased
or removed dirt from the pavement.
Erasing is most likely to be found on traffic-polished concrete
road.
4. Squeeze Mark are areas where a sliding tie rubs moisture of
the surface in its path. It occurs on
some kind of surface as erasing except that the surface is
wet.
5. Smear of Soft Material materials such as snow, mud, or debris
usually wet smooth or spread by a
sliding tire. It occurs on road covered with snow, or mud.
6. Smear of Bituminous Material is excess asphalt or tar,
usually warm which spread by a sliding tire
this occurs in pavement patches and joints in very warm weather
and else where when there is an
excess of tar or asphalt bleeding to the surface.
7. Tire Smear is a rubber melted from the tire rather than
material melted from the road by a sliding
tire.
8. Scrub of Tire during Collision collision of cars usually
cause the wheel to jam and prevents it from
turning. If the vehicles are moving there will be a heavy
scrubbing action between tire and road surface.
9. Furrow is a ploughed depression made by a sliding tire with
material piled-up on each sides and
usually at the end. If the soil is smooth and sticky, there may
be soft material smear in the bottom of the
rut.
Types of Ending Skidmarks
1. Overlapping Skidmark occurs when the rear wheels track on top
of the front wheel marks in sliding.
2. Front Wheel Marks are in long skids on hard pavement with
bituminous binders. Front wheels
skidmarks in which most of the mark is at edge of the tire.
3. Rear Tire Marks are relatively faint because of lesser weight
on the tire in slowing. They may show
thread grooves when the front tire marks do not.
4. Flat Tire Scuffs will leave marks by a scrubbing action even
without application of brakes due to
overload.
5. Gaps in Skidmarks are interruptions in skidmarks made by
release of brake pressure and its
reapplication.
6. Skip Skid are skidmarks that are broken or interrupted
without brakes being release.
7. Curb in Skidmarks are usually gentle slides toward the edge
of the road which is simply downhill.
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Scuff Marks are signs left on the road by tires that are sliding
or scrubbing while the wheel is still
turning.
Types of Scuff Marks
1. Decelerating Scuff are left while the vehicle is slowing by
braking effort and tires are both sliding
and rolling.
2. Accelerating Scuff are left by a wheel driven by the engine
and spinning on the ground.
3. Side Scuff are scuff marks left by a tire that is free to
rotate without braking or power the sliding
sidewise, these are usually left by a vehicle steering around a
curb and also in collision.
4. Combination Scuff are combination of slide with either
decelerating or accelerating scuffs.
5. Flat Tire Scuff are marks lefts on the road by the edges of
under-inflated or greatly overloaded tires.
They are usually smear of rubber, a flat tire rolls it become a
very hot specially at the edges where the
pressure is greatest.
6. Scrub of Tire during collision it is much the same when the
wheel is rotating as when it is locked.
7. Furrows by a rotating and sliding wheel are little different
than one with a locked wheel.
CAUSES OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
1. Direct Causes the direct causes of an accident are observable
by witness and participants, or may be
constructed from physical evidence found at the scene. Since a
direct cause relates to the action of the
human part of the traffic unit concerned it is a behavior cause.
Usually only four direct causes are
considered in accident investigation;
a. Initial Behavior - Any movement, position, or failure to
signal intent to make a traffic maneuver that
creates a dangerous situation and is either hazardous, illegal,
improper, or unusual may be initial
behavior of a nature justly term a direct cause of an
accident.
b. Speed Too fast for conditions is the direct cause of many
accidents.
c. Delayed Perception Is inattention to the major task of
operating a motor vehicle, and occurs when
the driver is distracted by conversation with other occupants of
the car, lighting a cigarette or cigar,
looking at a roadway or the scenery, or glancing at occupants of
nearby vehicles.
d. Faulty Evasive Action Faulty evasive action always occurs
after perception and is the reaction of a
driver or pedestrian to a hazardous situation on the
highway.
2. Mediate and Early Causes These mediate and early causes of an
accident are also termed condition
causes in formalized accident investigation procedure.
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A mediate cause of an accident occurs between the early and the
direct causes in the time span leading
to the accident, but it has a closer relationship to the direct
cause than to the early causes.
A mediate cause should not be listed unless it explains the
direct cause of an accident. A mediate cause
of an accident is an irregular or unusual condition of a
vehicle, the road, the weather, or of a road user
(driver or pedestrian) that explains on of the four direct
causes of an accident: initial behavior, speed,
delayed perception and faulty evasive action.
3. Early Causes - An early cause of an accident results from the
act of any individual, or the failure to act
by any person, which creates conditions leading to the chain of
events making up an accident.
An early cause of an accident has been defined as an act or
negligence on the part of an individual or an
organization which causes or permits a mediate cause to
exist.
HIT AND RUNINVESTIGATION
Characteristics of Hit-and Run Drivers
The hit-and-run accident is entirely and premeditated, of
course, and the driver usually feels remorse at
having done harm to someone.
1. After living the scene, he dreads or frighten of being
caught.
2. He may have left the accident scene because he was shocked,
injured, or intoxicated.
3. He may have been too confused to know he was doing.
4. He may have a long record of violations or accidents and
therefore a terrible fear of getting further
involve with the law.
5. More often, he fears financial loss specially if he does not
have liability insurance.
6. Hit-and run drivers do not have a establish method of
operation unlike with criminals.
CARNAPPING
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6539 - AN ACT PREVENTING AND PENALIZING
CARNAPPING
"Carnapping" is the taking, with intent to gain, of a motor
vehicle belonging to another without the
latter's consent, or by means of violence against or
intimidation of persons, or by using force upon
things.
"Motor vehicle" is any vehicle propelled by any power other than
muscular power using the public
highways, but excepting road rollers, trolley cars,
street-sweepers, sprinklers, lawn mowers, bulldozers,
graders, fork-lifts, amphibian trucks, and cranes if not used on
public highways, vehicles, which run only
on rails or tracks, and tractors, trailers and traction engines
of all kinds used exclusively for agricultural
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purposes. Trailers having any number of wheels, when propelled
or intended to be propelled by
attachment to a motor vehicle, shall be classified as separate
motor vehicle with no power rating.
P.D. NO. 1911
"Sec. 12-A.All carnapped or stolen motor vehicle, recovered and
impound by law enforcement agencies
which after a period of three (3) months from the date of its
seizure/recovery have remained unclaimed
or whose real owners could no longer be determined or
established because the original numbers of the
motor engine or chassis numbers could no longer be determined
and restored, are considered as
abandoned motor vehicles and shall be sold and disposed of by
the Chief of Constabulary of his
authorized representative in a public auction;
Provided, That, in all cases before any public auction is
effected, there shall be published once a week
for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general
circulation in the Philippines or in the place
where it was recovered or found, a description of the motor
vehicles intended to be auctioned with a
notice that after the lapse of one month from the date of the
last publication, should no person file a
claim for the recovery of the same, said motor vehicles will be
sold at public auction; Provided, Finally
that the date and place of the public auction to be conducted by
the Chief of Constabulary or his
authorized representative shall already be fixed in the last
publication aforementioned.
PD. 1612
"Fencing" is the act of any person who, with intent to gain for
himself or for another, shall buy, receive,
possess, keep, acquire, conceal, sell or dispose of, or shall
buy and sell, or in any other manner deal in
any article, item, object or anything of value which he knows,
or should be known to him, to have been
derived from the proceeds of the crime of robbery or theft.
"Fence" includes any person, firm, association corporation or
partnership or other organization
who/which commits the act of fencing.
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 96
1. That it shall be unlawful for the owner or possessor of any
motor vehicle to use or attach to his
vehicle any siren, bell, horn, whistle, or other similar gadgets
that produce exceptionally loud or startling
sound, including dome lights, blinkers and other similar
signaling or flashing devices.
2. The gadgets or devices mentioned above may be attached to and
use only on motor vehicles
designated for official use by the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, Land
Transportation Commission, Police Departments, Fire Departments,
and hospital ambulances.
Any device or gadget installed or mounted on any motor vehicle
or otherwise used in violation of this
decree shall be subject to immediate confiscation and, in cases
of a second and subsequent offenses,
the offender shall be prosecuted for violation of this Decree
before the military tribunal and, upon
conviction thereof, shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment for
six months and/or a fine of 600 pesos. In
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addition, the certificate of registration of the motor vehicle
on which the unauthorized gadget or device
herein mentioned is installed, mounted or used shall be
cancelled or revoked.