Incidents on the road are nothing new. We see them on the news every day. But have you ever wondered what it’s like getting involved in one?

Within the city, collisions between cars usually end up as a legal dispute over who pays for the damages.

But getting hit as a vulnerable road user has deeper implications—because your own body is at stake.

Right hooks are nothing new for people who ride a bicycle in Metro Manila. But there was one instance when there was contact between me and an automobile.

I was riding my bicycle on 5th Avenue in Bonifacio Global City, going to Lawton Avenue. While minding my own business in the bike lane, I noticed a pickup on my left swerving into me.

I raised my arm to let the driver know that I was in the lane. But she didn’t slow down at all.

Thud!

The truck’s fender hit my left hand.

Thankfully, the impact was oblique and at a slow speed, so I wasn’t knocked over. Since we were both stopped at the red light, I went back to the pickup, and the driver rolled down the window.

“May problema ba? Okay ka lang?” I said calmly, thinking she had a problem with me.

“Sorry, bro, nasa maling lane ako. Kakanan kasi ako,” replied the driver in a chill manner—as if there was no danger at all.

We resolved things awkwardly with a fist bump. And when the light turned green, I parted ways with her saying, “Ingat ka, ah!”

Despite the gravity of her action, I knew deep down that nothing I could say would change anything, when Filipinos ignorantly accept dangerous driving—and the 12,000 annual deaths from it—as normal.

As a young and active biker, I could tank the impact without getting hurt. But the same can’t be said for more vulnerable people such as children, women, the elderly, or persons with disabilities.

Had anyone else been in my place—including you—there’s no guarantee they wouldn’t have fallen and knocked their head on the pavement. And because the driver had no serious consequence for such reckless driving, the incident could happen again.

I used to wonder why the law seemed stacked against drivers of larger vehicles in the event of a collision. I understood why after I started biking. Even when you do nothing wrong, you can still pay a steep price for someone else’s negligence.

The one thing people fail to realize about road safety is the power dynamic between those in motor vehicles and those outside of them. I weigh 65kg; the pickup is almost two tons. My own flesh and bone versus steel and metal.

No amount of armor will protect the human body in a collision with a vehicle that heavy. The difference is like slapping a hammer with your hand, and striking your hand with a hammer.

Regardless of how defensive vulnerable road users are—whether they are a pedestrian, a cyclist, or even a motorcycle rider—all it takes is one careless driver to cause serious harm or death.

Driving is a privilege, not a right. Sadly, our motoring standards are so low that majority of Filipinos don’t deserve to be behind the wheel.

Why should anyone care about being a safe and responsible driver? It’s simple, really. Your life may not be at stake, but your automobile still poses a great danger on the road.

You may not know the people around you, but they all have their own lives and families. I’m sure you have friends and loved ones that you deeply care about, too. And it would be a great tragedy if they were killed in a road crash—all because someone couldn’t wait a few seconds.

How can people be safer drivers? We can start with simple ways, such as checking your side mirror before turning. You never know who might be on the other side.