HELP! Got Ticketed in SCTEX

[tiquico]

Yesterday, I was cruising SCTEX going to Subic when I made a wrong turn and headed to Clark tollgate. Realizing my mistake, I turned back (still traversing the "entrance" way) and drove to where I should be. I made sure I had my HAZARDS on so that incoming vehicles going to Clark tollgate would be alerted. As I made my way back to the main road, that's when an LTO apprehending officer flagged me. He told me I shouldn't have driven back against the traffic and should have proceeded to the Clark tollgate and just exited in the road ahead. I told the officer that it was my first time going to Subic and when I made a wrong turn, instinct told me to drive back. He ticketed me with a COUNTERFLOW violation. He said it's the highest form of traffic violation. Sensing that he won't budged from my pleadings, I accepted it.

After I arrived home, I checked the penalties in the LTO website. I can't seem to find COUNTERFLOW violation. The nearest violation I could find would be DRIVING AGAINST TRAFFIC under RECKLESS DRIVING. That's P1k. I've read from other sites that an ILLEGAL COUNTERFLOW violation is P2k plus DL suspension. Can I still contest my violation? Because strictly speaking, I think I didn't make an illegal counterflow.

Thanks in advance.

[p_borj]

sir nag-u-turn ka ba? sana inatras mo nalang paunti-unti yung daan hehe.

anyway, counterflow nga po talaga ang tawag doon.

[_Qwerty_]

yup nasa same lane ka.. bumalik ka.. eh di counter flow nga yun.. pano kung may mabilis na paparating.. pasalamat na lang kayo sir walang accident na nangyari.. next time.. exit the proper way..

[tiquico]

sir nag-u-turn ka ba? sana inatras mo nalang paunti-unti yung daan hehe.

anyway, counterflow nga po talaga ang tawag doon.

Yup. Nag-U-turn ako. The apprehending officer told me that I should have just backed the car and he would have let me go. But I was thinking that it would be more dangerous driving on reverse so I made a U-turn. (Sigh)

[scharnhorst]

Yup. Nag-U-turn ako. The apprehending officer told me that I should have just backed the car and he would have let me go. But I was thinking that it would be more dangerous driving on reverse so I made a U-turn. (Sigh)

counterflow nga talaga. you should have exited and gotten back the SCTEX from clark. Halos same price lang sana yon.

And reversing? nako. that's just as dangerous.

imagine if somebody traveling at least 60 kph smacks your car?

charge to experience nalang

[Type 100]

Yup. Nag-U-turn ako. The apprehending officer told me that I should have just backed the car and he would have let me go. But I was thinking that it would be more dangerous driving on reverse so I made a U-turn. (Sigh)

The prudent thing to do would be to just make a U-turn at the next exit, in this case Clark. Every other course of action involving moving the car is just an accident waiting to happen - whether it be counterflowing or backing up. That's physics.

At least you lived to tell the tale and learn from the mistake. Take care next time.

[niky]

The correct term is going the wrong way down a one way street... which is what a highway is.

This is one of THE most IRRITATING habits of some pinoy drivers... backing up or counterflowing on a one way highway.

What do you think happens when your car, going at 20 km/h in the wrong directing, meets another car going 60-80 km/h in the proper direction? You die. Period. The slower moving car absorbs more of the kinetic energy of the crash and that's all she wrote.

Do like the rest of us do when we miss our exit or turn. Drive down to the next exit and turn around. Short of a medical emergency, there's no reason to drive the wrong way down the road... especially a highway like the SCTEX, where oncoming traffic can be moving at up to 100-120 km/h.

[agentk98]

Dude, that was a little dangerous. Actually, that was a lot dangerous. Someone might have been exiting that same road... no amount of hazard lights can stop a car running at highway speeds. Hopefully you make this a learning experience. You are endangering your safety... and worse, other motorists.

Here's a recent article to read. Highlight on Story 2:
http://www.topgear.com.ph/features/f...he-philippines

[jerjer&qtqt]

yup, very very dangerous indeed. ako kapag lumampas lalo na hindi ko kabisado yung lugar, deretso lang ako at hanap ng tamang u-turn slot. presence of mind lagi lalo na sa fast moving highways. nangyari yan sa akin papasok ako ng exit ng sctex biglang may umaatras na mabagal. buwiset dahil kailangan ko magpreno ng mabilisan.

[ericp]

Dangerously bad move! Definitely!

[moejun2]

sorry sir, but what were you thinking? do you know how many lives you endangered?

[supercar10]

Don't take this personal but people like you should not drive nor ride bikes on public roads. Not with your animal instincts. Do you even realize how selfish and dangerous (for others especially), not to mention annoying that little stunt you pulled? Of course not.. Your like most jeepney, taxi, and bus drivers; as well as motorbike riders. You all share the same uncivilized attitude.

Wouldn't our roads be well-off without these hooligans?

*DBanker - While the TS's title may start with HELP, if you read between the lines, he is asking HELP in the sense that he feels like the officer did not do him justice by apprehending him. Inshort he is pleading his case that what he did was not wrong.

[biglang_liko]

Take responsibility for your actions and be thankful you're still alive. Just pay the fine and be done with it.