FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) . 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
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SENATE, 
S. B. No. 
3555 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Reckless driving is a mental state in which the driver displays a wanton disregard 
for the rules of the road and the driver often misjudges common driving procedures, often 
causing accidents and other damages. 
Road traffic accidents are now mentioned in the same breath as killer diseases. 
The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks it among the top ten (ninth as of 2004) 
causes of death. This year alone, the number of traffic related accidents has increased to 
30 to 40 percent. A total of 6,845 accidents had already been recorded across the country 
from January to July. Over-speeding caused at least 2,161 cases, followed by bad 
overtaking with 1,971, and bad turning, 1,732. From'2007 to July 2009, "human error" 
was the biggest factor in the accidents. 
The opportunity for genuine reforms that would lead to safer roads is here and it 
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is imperative that that the legislative branch act decisively. Needless to say, this will 
require strong commitment and cooperation among various stakeholders to ensure 
success in reducing the rate of traffic accidents and making our roads safe for the present 
and future generations. The proposed bill seeks to impose the accessory penalty of a 
driver's license suspension or revocation in order to curb traffic accidents caused by 
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reckless driving. 


:. 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
Ofj.':H~:L; :JI 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
) 
9 
DEC 15 P! :<l2 
SENATE 
S. B. NO. 3&55' 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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PROVIDING FOR ACCESSORY PENALTIES FOR THE CRIME OF RECKLESS 
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IMPRUDENCE COMMITTED WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Title. -
This Act shall be known as the "Reckless Driving 
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Prevention Act" 
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SECTION 2. Accessory Penalties. - Any pers\)l1 who is convicted of the crime of 
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reckless imprudence in relation to Article 365 of the Penal Code while driving a motor 
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vehicle shall in addition to the penalty provided in the Penal Code, suffer the following 
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accessory penalties: 
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a) For the first conviction, suspension for a period of not more than three months 
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the license to drive; 
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b) For the second conviction, suspension for a period of six months year the 
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license to drive; 
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c) For the third conviction, revocation 'Of any driver's license without 
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reinstatement; 
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SECTION 3. Reinstatement. - The license suspended nnder this Act shall not be 
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reinstated unless the driver has completed a driving refresher course from a driving 
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school duly accredited by the Land Transportation Office. 
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SECTION 4. Certificate of Completion. - A certificate issued by the driving 
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school that the person has completed the refresher course required in the previous section 
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shall be presented to the Land Transportation Office for purposes of reinstating a 
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suspended license. 
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SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any,Provision or part thereof, is held 
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invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise 
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affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
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executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, 
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or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
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accordingly. 
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SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
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after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved. 
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