Being allowed to sit behind the wheel of a vehicle is a privilege. And while many enjoy this, not all of us deserve it (if we’re being honest).

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m far from perfect. In my 25 years as a licensed driver, I’ve made many mistakes and been apprehended for a few violations here and there.

I’ve also done things I’m not particularly proud of, like giving in to road rage. But anybody who drives around the metro long enough can lose their temper—and eventually mind—right?

I’ve gotten into minor accidents, and I’ve narrowly avoided major ones. Looking back, I blame my youth for the careless things I did in my younger years. But lately, people have been noticing some changes in my driving.

One time, I was with my best friend and his wife when a motorcycle rider clipped the rear right end of my MPV. The impact broke the taillight lens and badly scratched the bumper.

My best friend’s wife cursed, and my friend got really irritated. Me? I just stepped out of the vehicle calmly, checked the damage, talked with the rider who had crashed into us, went with him to the nearest police station, and entered into a settlement.

To his credit, the rider was apologetic, and he compensated me. But to be honest, it still wasn’t enough to cover all the damage. I just thought: As long as I can get the money for a replacement taillight, I’m good.

I barely noticed my own reaction until my friend asked: “Buti hindi ka nagalit nung nabangga yung sasakyan mo? Kami nga galit na galit, e.” I was surprised by the comment, too—until it hit me. More than just getting wiser with age, something else was behind this change.

In 2022, my wife shared the good news: We were expecting. Not long after, we found out it was a boy.

Over the next nine months, I saw what my wife had to go through to carry our son. She made so many sacrifices just to bring him into this world healthy. Then that fateful day came.

On February 23, 2023, I became a father for the first—and probably the last—time. Seeing my precious Alonzo, I knew I had been given a huge responsibility.

But I did not feel pressured by this. Instead, I felt happy, honored, and complete. From that day on, whether I was completely ready or not, I instinctively knew I had to take charge.

He became my priority. Everything else took a back seat. I know I have to be a father first and try my darndest to be a good one.

I’m happy that we share a common passion: Alonzo also loves cars. In fact, the first word he spoke wasn’t “mama” or “papa.” It was “car.”

His smile melted my heart when he smirked when I gave him the first toy I ever bought for him—a set of Jeep scale models. He rides his toy car regularly and loves riding in our van, which he fondly calls a “bus.”

He’s also one of my “advisers” when I review test vehicles. He spends a lot of time in each of the media units, pressing buttons, flicking stalks, and honking the horn while wearing his infectious smile.

I remember taking him and my wife home after they were discharged from the hospital. I also drove him twice a day to a clinic 10km from home so he could get his antibiotic shots.

I struggled as I tried to install a car seat we bought for my first-gen Innova (which didn’t have any of that Isofix thingamajig), just so I could take him and his mom home to Laguna, where we live now.

Ever since we had him, I’ve instinctively paid more attention to speed limits and braking distances, and I’ve avoided jackrabbit starts and sudden stops. One reason is that I know my wife would kill me if I got us into trouble by driving the way I did before.

Raising Alonzo through all the hardships and sacrifices has made me realize even more how precious life is. I’ve seen how one simple mistake or miscalculation can destroy everything that one has worked so hard for. Becoming a father helped me understand the new role that God has entrusted to me, and because of that, I know I need to shape up and strive to be better in everything I do—my driving included.

My son has made me more critical of my own driving style. He has made me want to become not just a better driver, but also a good role model that he can emulate when he becomes a licensed driver himself.

His presence also pushes me to come up with better content whenever I write articles or share opinions on our website. This is also why I’m now stricter whenever I do my moderating duties for the VISOR Community on Facebook.

After all, we want to foster a community and a country that helps improve the condition of our roads and make them safer—especially for our kids.

Fatherhood doesn’t just change your sleeping patterns. It is more than learning how to change diapers or prepare milk formulas. It helps you mature. It inspires you to strive harder to be a better dad and, ultimately, a better person.

Fatherhood makes you appreciate all your dad’s sacrifices—the ones you’ve always taken for granted.

Because while anybody can have a child, being a good father is a choice, something one should make every single day. This is just one of the many lessons I’ve learned from my own father.

So, this Father’s Day, how can we show our appreciation and love for our dads? It’s by trying to emulate how good fathers they have been to us—and by striving to be an even better one to our own children.

Happy Father’s Day! May we take the time to honor our old man the best way we can. And if you are a dad yourself, may this day be a reminder to try harder to be better—and that includes your behavior on the road.