The May 28 road rage killing at the EDSA-Ayala tunnel in Makati City has underscored the urgency of enacting pending measures in Congress penalizing aggressive, hostile and violent behavior of motorists on the road.

San Jose del Monte City Rep. Florida P. Robes aired this view as she batted for the swift passage of House Bill 1511 or the Anti-Road Rage Act which is currently pending before the Committee on Transportation of the House of Representatives.

Authored by Robes, HB 1511 proposes to penalize acts of road rage with a prison term of up to six years and a fine of not less than P250,000.  It also seeks the suspension of the involved motorist’s driver’s license for a period of five years.

“Road rage incidents that result in serious injuries or even death of a person will likely be prevented if motorists are aware that a hostile act of cursing, use of foul language or even moderate screaming can land them in jail,” said Robes.

“I grieve with the family of Aniceto Mateo who met his untimely passing while trying to earn a decent living for his loved ones despite the fact that he has reached his senior years. His death was just utterly senseless,” she said.

Mateo died after being shot by businessman Gerrard Raymund Uy in a clear road rage incident, police said.

Robes noted that statistics from the Metropolitan Development Authority indicate that a significant number of the 90,258 road crash incidents in 2014 were triggered by road rage.

“In the Philippines, road rage cases are on the rise. Recent road rage statistics showed that eight out of ten drivers admit to exhibiting aggressive behavior at least once a year, while nine out of ten drivers think of aggressive driving as a threat to their personal safety,” the administration lawmaker said.

HB 1511 defines road rage as “any aggressive, hostile or violent behavior in traffic or on the road by a motorist  which may include mild to moderate screaming, wild gesturing at others, cursing or using bad language, physical attack at another or an attempt thereof, reckless driving, any kinds of threat or intimidation, any use of force against another person and other analogous circumstances.”

Robes said her bill will grants  a road rage complainant to initiate a separate action for damages or other affirmative relief he or she may intend to pursue.

The legislative proposal provides that road rage will be considered an aggravating circumstances if a more serious crime is committed by the offending party.

Being under the influence of alcohol, illegal drug or any other mind-altering substance are not considered a defense under the legislative proposal.