Recent viral videos have highlighted the country’s lack of a law that makes road rage a criminal offense and not just a traffic violation. Anti-road rage bills have been filed in both the upper and lower houses before, the last one being House Bill No. 5759 in 2019, but a new one has now been filed in Congress following two highly publicized events in August.
House Bill No. 8991, entitled ‘An Act Penalizing Acts of Road Rage and for Other Purposes’ or the Anti-Road Rage Act of 2023, “seeks to impose stiffer penalties on aggressive driving and criminalize road rage throguh the imposition of the penalties of imprisonment, fine, and perpetual disqualification for government officials and employees.”
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The bill defines road rage as “aggressive, hostile, or violent behavior in traffic or on the road by a motorist,” and includes the following (quoted in verbatim):
Examples of road rage as stated in the Anti-Road Rage Act of 2023
- Wild gesturing at the other concerned party or any of his/her passengers
- Cursing or using bad language or any form of verbal insults
- Any physical attack at another or an attempt thereof
- Reckless driving
- Any kinds of threat or intimidation
- Any use of force against another person
- Other analogous circumstances, including all other acts that may fall under the Revised Penal Code and other Special Penal Laws, as may be applicable
Notably, HB 8991 seeks to provide the government authority to prosecute road rage suspects on behalf of victims, “in cases where victims are unable or unwilling to pursue legal action due to fear, intimidation, or other reasons.” You may recall that in the Quezon City road rage incident, the cyclist threatened by Wilfredo Gonzales has so far opted not to come forward to file cases against the gun-toting dismissed policeman.
Penalties for road rage under House Bill No. 8991
Individuals found guilty of committing acts of road rage, when no injury or death has occurred, face either imprisonment of six months to one year, a fine of P50,000 to P100,000, or both.
Those who cause physical injury in their act of road rage shall be penalized with either imprisonment of two to four years, a fine of P100,000 to P250,000, or both. If the incident of road rage has resulted in death, perpetrators face either imprisonment of six to 12 years, a fine of P250,000 to P500,000, or both. The fine is exclusive of damages incurred.
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In addition, an individual who engages in road rage shall have his driver’s license revoked and not eligible for renewal in the next five years.
A government official or employee found guilty of road rage shall also be perpetually disqualified from government service.
Other provisions
The Anti-Road Rage Act of 2023 seeks the establishment of a dedicated unit for handling road rage cases, and mandatory attendance to a “government-approved anger management program” for convicted individuals. It also wants to provide protection to victims and witnesses to ensure their safety and security throughout the legal process.
Check out the full copy of the bill below.
House Bill No. 8991, or the Anti-Road Rage Act of 2023
