Republic Act (RA) 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, was enacted in 1964 — more than six decades ago.
At that time, our roads were far less congested, the number of motor vehicles was nowhere near what we have today and the traffic environment was considerably simpler. Today, our roads are crowded with private cars, motorcycles, buses, trucks, modern public utility vehicles and other forms of transportation, all competing for limited road space.
Yet we continue to operate under a traffic law written for a very different era.
The alarming frequency of road crashes happening almost every day should compel Congress to take a hard second look at RA 4136.
Those road crashes are the consequences of ignorance of traffic laws, reckless driving, speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, disregard of traffic signals and, perhaps most troubling of all, sheer indiscipline behind the wheel.
The law can prescribe rules, but if motorists know that violations carry only minimal consequences, some will simply regard traffic regulations as suggestions rather than obligations.
It is therefore time for Congress to revisit RA 4136 and amend its provisions to bring them into the realities of present-day traffic.
Penalties for serious violations — particularly reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, speeding, driving under the influence of drugs or liquor and other acts that place lives at risk — should be made sufficiently stiff to serve not merely as punishment, but as a genuine deterrent.
But stiffer penalties alone are not the solution. The government must also tighten the process of obtaining a driver’s license. A driver’s license is not a birthright. It is a privilege granted only to a person who has demonstrated the knowledge, skills, judgment and responsibility necessary to operate a motor vehicle safely.
Why are we allowing people who do not know — or simply refuse to follow — the most basic traffic rules to get behind the wheel?
The licensing system should be rigorous enough to ensure that only qualified and responsible drivers are allowed on our roads. Written examinations should test actual understanding of traffic laws, while practical examinations should genuinely measure driving competence. Renewal should also not become a mere bureaucratic exercise.
And enforcement must be consistent.
There is little value in having stringent laws if traffic violators can escape apprehension, negotiate their way out of violations or repeatedly commit the same offenses with little fear of consequence.
Every reckless driver is not merely risking his own life. He is gambling with the lives of pedestrians, passengers, cyclists, motorcycle riders and other motorists who have every right to reach their destination alive.
RA 4136 has served the country for more than 60 years. But a law that was adequate for the traffic conditions of 1964 may no longer be adequate for the roads of 2026.
Congress should update it — not after another tragedy, not after another family loses a loved one and not after another headline screams about a preventable road crash.
Our roads have changed. Our vehicles have changed. Our traffic has changed. It is time our traffic law changed with them.
Look at Australia and other developed countries. Traffic rules are not treated as mere suggestions. Drivers know that speeding, dangerous driving, driving under the influence and other serious violations can result in substantial fines, demerit points, suspension or cancellation of a driver’s license and, in serious cases, criminal prosecution.
The result is not that every driver is perfect. No country can claim that. But the combination of strict licensing, effective enforcement and meaningful penalties creates a culture where motorists generally understand that breaking traffic rules carries consequences.
That is something we should learn from.
Here, we sometimes seem to have the opposite mindset: a driver’s license is obtained relatively easily, traffic violations are committed casually and penalties are sometimes viewed as little more than an inconvenience.
This must change.
A driver’s license should mean that the holder has earned the privilege to drive — not merely that he has passed through a licensing office.
And a traffic law should mean something more than words printed in a statute book. It must be enforced firmly, fairly and consistently.
We do not need to copy Australia or any other country its best practices. But we should learn from what works.
If we want disciplined motorists, we must have a licensing system that produces qualified drivers, enforcement that catches violators and penalties that make people think twice before breaking the law. Ultimately, the purpose of a traffic law is not to collect fines -- it is to save lives.