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JP Tuason
On A Mission
Making our streets safer for pedestrians and motorists alike is JP Tuason's personal crusade
Words by Paulo Rafael T. Subido; Photography by Ocs Alvarez
Road-safety advocate and racer-on-hiatus JP Tuason agrees that ‘speed kills'. Parents who reluctantly hand the car keys to their kids can't be blamed for having this paranoia-based notion either. Adolescence and the need for speed usually go hand in hand, especially if the young driver is not trained in the finer points of driving. Add the fact that this is a country where even a blind man can get a driver's license and you have a recipe for many road mishaps.
"People are uneducated here, and this basically causes the accidents. We want to do our part in educating the Filipino driver to make our roads safer," says JP.
Founder of the Tuason Racing School, JP also works with Ford Group Philippines' R.I.D.E. (Responsibility in Driver Education) program—a road-safety seminar that is conducted in major high schools and universities. Close to 4,000 students take part in this program every year, and JP does 100 percent of the lectures. Talk about dedication to the cause.
"We've been doing this for about five years now," says JP. "We got trained by the US National Safety Council, and we are one of the few companies that are recognized by the Department of Transportation and Communications. We are also trying to tie in with the Land Transportation Office to promote road safety and educate people properly. The core of our business is actually road safety."
It has only been five years since JP and Tuason Racing became safety advocates, and although it still may take some time before the number of road accidents drops, the signs are already very positive. "In terms of lessening the accidents on the road, I think it is a long-term program," he shares. "The results will be seen later on, but in the short time that we have been doing this, we are very proud to say that the programs we have done in conjunction with Ford Philippines are now integrated into some high school and college curricula. What we teach actually comes out in some of the tests. I think the schools are starting to see that what we are doing is important, and little by little the streets will be safer."
Of course, many conservative parents out there may think that racecar drivers are reckless hotheads. To this he says: "Who would be better to teach kids how to keep away from accidents than people who have experienced everything? Before an accident happens, we can see it. That kind of experience and foresight is what we want to impart to our students. People that race cars and are used to speed are the best educators for road safety."
For the younger kids who aspire to race, JP's school is also a great step toward fulfilling that dream. "Proper race training exposes people to the proper way to drive, and it also keeps them relaxed on the streets," he enthuses.
JP stopped racing in 2006 to pool all of his efforts on the Ford Formula Asia series: "I have made the ultimate sacrifice—all to develop our local drivers and to help them be competitive abroad. Do I want to race again? Definitely, but I want to move local motorsports and road safety forward first. My racing career is just on hold at the moment."
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Top Gear Philippines - June 2008
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