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| K- Car in Japan |
- I've rarely heard drivers use their horns.
- I've never seen a road accident.
- Drivers have always given way to me when I ride my bike or walk.
These are all good changes for someone from Manila- a city of blasting horns, daily road accidents and drivers pushing their way through traffic.
I've never felt safer on the road than here in Japan. So safe that I've become confident riding my bicycle on high ways even at night, walk on narrow streets (because streets in Japan are all narrow), and drive in a foreign country.
I've wondered about this carefulness. I've wondered too why drivers in the Philippines can't be more like these Japanese drivers. The Philippines has wider roads and less traffic lights. There are also more traffic officers on the road. Still, safe is the last word I'll use to describe the roads in the Philippines.
I think what makes Japanese drivers careful are two things- Education and the Sense of Privilege.
Teaching Road Safety
When I say education, I didn't mean it in an awe-inspiring and fist-pounding kind. It's education in a simple and non-fussy way.
Every year, schools have a Traffic Education session. The traffic police would visit the schools to demonstrate the proper use of bicycles. They also hold small lectures on road safety. They show a video of the few accidents that happen in Japan.
Also, not all students are permitted to ride bicycles. Students who live further and can properly use their bicycles are the only ones who can ride to schools. They are this strict with bicycles so you can imagine how much more if it's a car.
In the Philippines, the only lesson I can remember about traffic is the use of stoplight. And I tell you, I don't think a lot of people understand traffic lights in the Philippines.
Driving is a Privilege
I will suppose that the Japanese see driving as a privilege. Getting a driver's license in Japan is heartbreakingly difficult. Foreigners needing licenses take months to prepare for the driving test. Even Japanese have a hard time getting a license.
A friend told me how surprised he was to see adult Japanese men crying because they failed the driving test. On the flip side, he was also surprised to see how happy people are when they pass the test. It was like winning the lottery. The driver's offices in Japan must be an emotional place.
Because of the difficulty of getting a license, the Japanese don't take it for granted. Their driver's license is something they've worked for, studied for and maybe even prayed for. They don't want to lose it to some nonsense on the road.
I've heard a story why Filipinos have the hardest time getting a Japanese driver's permit. It was said that a Filipina who was applying a permit in Tokyo mentioned how easy it is to get a license in the Philippines. She even said that sometimes, we just pay the office that grants license. Because of her tactlessness (and stupidity), Japan are strict with Filipino drivers. (Well, I think Japan is strict with everyone.)
Whether this story is true or not, there's some truth in what she said. Driver's licenses are given like pancakes in the Philippines. As long as you have two arms and legs, you can have a license.
I Wish, I Wish, I Just Wish...
I wish there'd be more educated drivers in the Philippines like here in Japan. Driving is more than just knowing how to drive. It's also about knowing when to stop driving to avoid accidents and give way to pedestrians. Driving is not all green lights but also reds and yellows.
I wish driving licenses in the Philippines wouldn't be granted like a soda bought in the nearby sari-sari store. A driver's license is a LICENSE like how professionals use their license as a proof of their professional capabilities.
And I just wish I'd still be alive when...
- Drivers back home would rarely use their horns.
- A road accident in the Philippines would be an unusual case.
- Filipino drivers would give way to pedestrians and to each other.
And of course, I still hope to ride my bike back home without the fear of being hit (and of being mugged).
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