COMMUTERS and even motorists have no choice but to get accustomed to the almost daily traffic that is caused by election campaigning.

With the campaign already in the homestretch, we can expect much lighter traffic soon.

Manila is now the most traffic-prone area in the metropolis, since it has hundreds of political figures who are fighting for a few slots in the city council and congressional districts. Imagine them campaigning simultaneously with their thousands of supporters on an everyday basis. That’s bedlam for sure on the road! 

Crime is still on the rise as can be gleaned by the many incidents of snatching and holdups being perpetuated by those criminals riding, most of the time, in tandem on two-wheel transports.

I don’t know why the authorities can’t stop those who victimize our helpless countrymen. Take a look at those cell-phone-snatching incidents, for instance. Hapless individuals are being robbed right at their very own doorsteps.

The criminals get away unscathed because they use high-speed motorcycles to take off from the scene of the crime in the blink of an eye. No thanks to the absence of police authorities, who should be guarding the citizenry at all times, those criminals operate as free as a bird at any given time.

There are talks going around that many criminal gangs in many cities are under the protection of the rogue members of the police force. It is said that the police are now shying away from the densely populated areas such as shopping centers and malls or even busy streets in order “to give free rein to their criminal-fiends to operate at will.”  

SUZUKI Philippines Inc. kicked off its fourth Suzuki Nationwide Endurance Run last week at the Hobbies of Asia on Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City. 

Twenty riders from various motorcycle-riding clubs in Luzon are now testing eight Suzuki four-stroke motorcycles, such as the Raider R150, Raider J (110cc), Shogun Pro (125cc), Shogun R (125cc), Step 125, Smash Revo (110cc), Mola 125 and Mola 150 nonstop for 40 days. The run will cover more than 7,000 km from Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao.

The Suzuki Nationwide Endurance Run is an annual nationwide two-wheel tour showcasing motorcycling as an alternative lifestyle, while demonstrating the durability, overall excellent performance and fuel efficiency of Suzuki motorcycles. This year’s run, which coincides with the World Safety Month celebration, advocates safety riding through road courtesy.

“Through the Suzuki Nationwide Endurance Run, Suzuki aims to dispel the negative notion that motorcycle riding is unsafe and that motorcycle riders have less traffic rights. It is about time that motorcycle riders be accorded the same respect that is given four-wheeled drivers on the streets,” said Benedict Martin Arreola, senior marketing manager for motorcycle of Suzuki Philippines Inc. “Suzuki has the widest range of motorcycle models, from backbone or business models to scooters and sporty underbone models. Our slogan ‘Your Lifestyle Your Ride’ further demonstrates that motorcycle riding have evolved from simply being the preferred ride of messengers and tricycle drivers to a more versatile and efficient transportation solution.”

Also coinciding with the run is the launch of the first Suzuki Nationwide Motor Show, a nationwide competition of Suzuki modified units starting on July 1 at the CSI Mall in Dagupan City, Pangasinan.  

A recent study shows that American truck drivers, especially those who are doing cross-country deliveries, with severe sleep apnea or those who sleep less than five hours a night when they are at home “are more likely to experience sleepiness and impaired ability while driving.”

In the US, approximately 5,600 people are killed annually in crashes involving commercial trucks, according to the author of the said study, Allan L. Pack of the University of Pennsylvania. “Falling asleep while driving is an important factor in serious crashes, prompting the question why chronic short sleep duration is a risk factor for subjective sleepiness, objectively measured sleepiness and performance impairments,” he said.

Here, nobody cares about the reasons why there are many truck crashes. Don’t ever mess with delivery trucks, especially during rush hours or you might be inviting trouble.

How would you know when the driver of the truck that is busily honking at your back is suffering from severe sleep apnea or he is just a bully? The next time you experience such a thing, let him pass. Never, ever, get in the way of rampaging trucks!

IT was 6 in the morning and we were all required to be at the Portico Restaurant at Serendra in Taguig on a Friday. So, there we were, motoring reporters from different outfits ready and oh-so-willing to go on the ride and drive. After all, it was the first time CATS Motors Philippines was sending four, oh, yes, four, of its precious Mercedes-Benzes for a long-haul drive.

COMMUTERS and even motorists have no choice but to get accustomed to the almost daily traffic that is caused by election campaigning.

‘OH, no.  Not another endurance run!” Those were the words that this writer almost uttered after receiving an invitation to participate in the ongoing “Fearless: The Ford Ranger Extreme Drive,” which began on April 17 and will end on May 9.

THE race to equip the ever-growing number of vehicles on the road today with good and quality tires has been taken to the next level.

DO you have the roadster spirit in you? If the emotion of motion exhilarates and liberates you, then the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Moreover, there’s a Mazda car that might satisfy your roadster spirit since the brand aims to produce vehicles that are fun to drive, fun to own and fun to use.