Welcome to the death highway

EDSA is supreme when it comes to traffic. But EDSA (or any other thoroughfare) is nothing compared to Commonwealth Avenue's wealth of driving hazards, thanks to its more famous name death highway.

If your daily drive or commute is via this widened road in Quezon City, consider these obstacles:

• non-reflectorized concrete barriers or signs you hardly notice day or night time
• pedestrians crossing anywhere, anyhow
• overloaded motorcycles left and right, cutting or overtaking carelessly
• buses (no matter the size) swerving in 'king of the road' terrorizing speed
• jeepneys loading and unloading anywhere, anyhow
• new U-turn slots covering 2-3 lanes (and that irritating pink fences)

There might be more I missed mentioning, but what's worst, there's no police visibility here.

Our car was once bumped by another car that appeared (unnoticed) from a no-u-turn slot (right after the St. Peter church)--good thing my driver steered quickly that our front left wheel mag was bumped instead (undamaged), while the culprit dented his bumper (good thing it's Nissan plastic), who later approached us very apologetic (he smelled of liquor). No police or MMDA personnel around. Nothing bad happened but it was a terrible experience, at least for me, that every time we pass by that area, I would hold my breath (pedestrians, kids mostly, rushing to cross appear instead).

Commonwealth avenue, if the government even cares about the voters passing through it, truly is one hell of a (daily) ride. Guerrilla or defensive driving is best practiced here, or you might end up adding to the rising statistics of unnecessary death highway casualties.