Auto Review Road Safety Olympics Launched

Over 300 participants, most of them traffic enforcers from all over Metro Manila, played beach volleyball, engaged in a tug-of-war and an amazing race-type road safety trivia challenge, then took part in a festive parade to launch the Auto Review Road Safety Olympics last Saturday January 24, 2015 at the SM by the Bay in the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Highlighting the event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the one of the country’s longest-running motoring television programs aired on PTV 4 was a pledge by the participants to instill good road habits and courtesy for motorists, pedestrians and other road users.

Vow for Better Road Safety

Contained in the pledge, among others, was the vow “not to use my cell phone while driving; not to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to always use a seat belt while driving and always observe and follow road laws, rules and regulations.”

"We thought of something different so we had sports activities such as beach volleyball and tug-of-war to drive home the message of road safety and courtesy. People just love sports and to our belief, it can very well mix with the promotion of road safety as everyone’s responsibility", said Auto Review producer-host Ron de los Reyes.

Team Sports Promoted

The participants had fun engaging in beach games at the Sands, SM by the Bay’s new sports facility along Seaside Blvd. The spectators also enjoyed cheering for their respective teams as volleys, spikes and aces were scored in the modified four-a-side (with two boys and two girls per team) playing beach volleyball. Most of the players who are used to playing indoor volleyball easily adjusted to serving, tossing, and running on the soft sand court which can also be used for beach tennis, badminton and tug-of-war.

Units that took part in both the sports and other activities during the day came from the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Muntinlupa, Pasay, Pasig, Las Pinas, Quezon City, San Juan, Makati and Valenzuela, the companies Mazda and Chevrolet and students from UST. A modified car three-wheelers show organized by Auto Review and Rivers Car Club also formed a side event at the venue.

UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety

The AR-RSO was held in cooperation with the Metro Manila Development Authority, Philippine Global Road Safety Partnership represented by PGRSP secretary general Bert Suansing, Automotive Association Philippines, the Department of Interior & Local Government, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Red Cross, Roadhouse Manila Bay, AGC Flat Glass Phils., Car Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, Inc. and the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines. It is also held in support of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011- 2020.

Backed by Local Manufacturers

In the coming months, teams from Toyota Motor Philippines, Mazda Philippines, Mitsubishi Motors, Isuzu Philippines, Chevrolet Philippines, and Bridgestone Tires will be competing in basketball, indoor volleyball, fuel economy runs and a five-kilometer fun run where points will be awarded to the teams to determine the overall winners in the Olympic-style five-month event. Slots are still open for any company who would be interested to field their teams. During game breaks, various road safety activities will be conducted for spectators and participants.

Also announced at the event was the first-ever search for Metro Manila’s “Road Safety Champs”, a campaign to identify and pay tribute to the National Capital Region’s outstanding traffic enforcers.

Those qualified to be nominated must have at least three years of continuous service with the agency or institution and stand out in the performance of their duties, especially in road safety. The winners will be announced and given trophies and incentives in the last leg of the event.

Carmudi as Event Partner

The initial AR-RSO media partners include Malaya Business Insight, Business Mirror, PTV 4, C! Magazine, Top Gear, Manila Broadcasting Company, DZSR Sports Radio and Carmudi.com.ph.

The next leg of the AR-RSO will be held in February and will feature basketball and indoor volleyball competitions. Mini-Competition winners were: For Beach Volleyball, 1st (UST Child locks); 2nd (MMDA Seatbelts); and 3rd (Mazda Skyactiv). For Tug-of-War, 1^st (MMDA Seatbelts); 2nd (Red Cross); and 3^rd (Pasig Amazing Brakes). Meanwhile, Amazing Race winners were: 1^st (Pasig Amazing Brakes); 2^nd (Mazda SkyActiv); and 3^rd (MMDA Seatbelts).