It’s going viral and people have been re-posting and re-sharing it. But what’s not being included in the information accompanying these posts is some much-needed insight or analysis on how a Mitsubishi Strada pickup truck ended up precariously hanging off the rails of the Skyway, an elevated highway south of Manila’s central business district yesterday.
Online motor enthusiast magazine Top Gear Philippines posted the most recent (as of this writing) story about it accompanied by more pictures sent in by witness Francis Aguado who only had this to say…
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
“It was the bloody railing’s fault,” Aguado offered. “There is a curb that throws your wheels up, and you’re left with a 2ft edge and fake railings! The railing is really an issue. I’ve brought this up before. And they issued a statement claiming the railing was sufficient. But it’s not. It’s just an interlinked joint unlike the old railing we grew up seeing driving up to Tagaytay. Also, the curb is too high. Tires intentionally will try to roll up anything. And that leaves only 2ft or less and then the faulty railing.”
Sure. But this latest mishap follows a more deadly one that happened under similar circumstances. Back in December 2013 a public bus full of passengers also jumped the Skyway rails and fell on the road below killing 20 people. Two of those killed were in a vehicle that happened to be on the road right underneath the falling bus and were crushed to death. The incident was blamed on the sort of usual reckless driving past the speed limit public bus drivers in the Philippines are world-renowned for.
Though not explicitly reported in media outlets that covered this recent incident involving the Mitsubishi Strada pickup, there are a few telltale signs that could be noted. Firstly, the pickup truck is fitted with low-profile tires, which gives us some idea of the sort of character driving it. Second, a vehicle able to jump to a height that almost cleared the Skwyay rails, will have been travelling at a similar speed as that ill-fated public bus in the 2013 accident described earlier. Indeed, in that bus incident, a witness had reported that the bus was travelling way past the Skyway speed limit swerving in and out of traffic lanes. Third, it was reportedly raining at the time the accident happened. Do smart drivers drive a high-centre-of-gravity vehicle fast on a wet road?
Go figure.
[Photo originally exhibited on Top Gear Philippines.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
This is a huge evidence that lack of discipline and stupidity are the main ingredients of Filipino culture.
“Firstly, the pickup truck is fitted with low-profile tires, which gives us some idea of the sort of character driving it.”
Um, no it doesn’t. How do you know the sort of character driving it when this happened?
usually, it equates porma over efficiency/safety. but who am i to judge, i’d douche my ride up to if i had one!
Let me ask you then. Why would you fit a pickup truck with low-profile tires?
A good low profile tyre performs much better on a smooth paved road (asphalt or concrete) than an all terrain tyre which most pick ups have. If your pick up will never be driven on a dirt road, then a low profile tyre will be good, provided the load rating is safe for the pickup.
When you say “performs better”, presumably you mean in terms of handling, stability, cornering, etc. If so, would you say there a significant difference in “performance” between standard tires and low-profile tires at the range of speeds one would normally experience within the Skyway speed limit?
In theory yes, there would be a significant difference compared to a standard tyre…but it still wouldn’t prevent an accident because a pickup is not designed for high speeds, so any good tyre will only expose the handling limits of a pickup.
Yeah so that’s my point. A pickup is not designed for high speeds and so equipping it with low-profile tyres does not serve any practical purpose.
For show mostly I think. A pickup is considered a utility vehicle so typically they aren’t dressed up with the aero kits you see for passenger cars. You could get better handling with low-pro tires on a pickup but unless you’re driving it fast and quick consistently, and you’re stuck in the Metro’s traffic, then there is no advantage. In fact, if you go low-profile with a so-called “racing” suspension package, (to go along with the tires) the ride would be pretty harsh – bouncing all over the place! Not recommended!
Judging the character of the driver by the tires of his vehicle?! What sort of stupid profiling method is that? Should I judge you by the phone you are using?
no, but i’d judge you by what apps you have.
I suspect benign0’s hypothesis may be fairly accurate. People who do things like that to their vehicles have something about their personalities that gives them a need to be different and get noticed, and that is often reflected in the way they drive. Do I have proof of that? No, but I do have 40 years of driving experience and observing the way other drivers behave.
I only disagree with the ‘character’ part of the author’s summary. No one knows who owns the pick-up truck or who put the tires on the POS to begin with (was it the driver?).Insights into the driver’s personality could only be gleaned by a professional psychologist/psychiatrist. A trained professional would have to question the guys sanity about wtf he is even doing in the completely fucked country….maybe.
A fucked up driver is suitable in a fucked up country, they thrive here.
Drive safely, especially on Elevated Highway. Curves are very dangerous, rain or shine…
The Driver on that pick up is fortunate to be alive…
Traffic in the Philippines is so bad that the moment the road finally clears up they all start to drive like a Formula ONE race cars. That could explain the over-speeding.
even worse, the Philippine roads looks like a real life Grand Theft Auto. 😮
Except everyone’s moving at 0.5kph.
Yeah…my dad’s like that too…and I’m also guilty…I’m like…”papa! walang kotse! BILIS! vroooom!” so I should probably tell myself to stop along w/ my popsXD
People who could easily be mistaken as preteens just shouldn’t even try to pull off the look-at-me-I’m-so-serious-and-mysterious-and-sexy look. Especially while driving because, please, you look like you are twelve and a half and driving with a serious look.
Most kids who get the opportunity to drive illegally are smiling so big that they look dyslexic and about to piss their pants with excitement because they are in operation of a vehicle that isn’t manufactured by PlayStation.
I lost sanity thereXD hahahaha….whew…ok yeah you have a point…*still laughing in the inside* ironicXD wait, did I use it properly? nevermind thenXD
Reported in the news that a blown tire caused the accident.
Friggin’ blown tire my ass. I’m sure it’s made in China.
The Failippines local media can blow me.