House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos of Ilocos Norte filed a measure seeking to define road rage as a criminal offense, tighten penalties for aggressive and retaliatory driving, and send a clear message that public roads are not arenas for intimidation, threats and violence.

House Bill (HB) 8190 or the proposed Anti Road Rage Act aims to draw a firm legal line between ordinary traffic violations and deliberate acts that put lives at risk, according to a news release on Monday.

Marcos said the measure is anchored on a basic principle of public safety: When anger spills onto the road, the consequences are rarely contained to the two people involved, and ordinary commuters, passengers and pedestrians end up paying the price.

“We cannot allow road rages to continue on our roads, because one reckless decision can turn into a lifelong tragedy for an innocent family,” Marcos said.

“The goal is accountability that is both punitive and corrective, especially in a climate where viral road rage videos often normalize intimidation and escalate copycat behavior.”

HB 8190 defines road rage as any intentional and aggressive act committed by a driver or occupant arising from a traffic-related incident, carried out to intimidate, threaten, harass, retaliate against, or cause harm to another road user, and creating a clear and present danger to life, limb or property.

Violators may be imprisoned for up to one year or fined up to PHP100,000, or both, when road rage is committed without causing damage, injury or death.

If road rage results in property damage or physical injury, the penalty increases to imprisonment of up to four years or a fine of up to PHP200,000, or both.

The measure further provides that if the offense results in two or more less serious physical injuries, or a serious physical injury or death, the offender shall be prosecuted for intentional felonies under the Revised Penal Code, with the appropriate penalties imposed in their maximum period, plus an additional fine ranging from PHP200,000 to PHP500,000.

HB 8190 sets aggravating circumstances that require maximum penalties, including cases where the offender carries, brandishes or uses a deadly weapon, a firearm whether licensed or not, or an object made to appear as a firearm or deadly weapon, and cases involving victims who are minors, pregnant women, senior citizens or persons with disabilities.

The same applies when the offender is a uniformed officer charged with maintaining law and order.

Pending investigation, the driver’s license of an accused shall be immediately suspended, and upon final determination of liability, the offender shall be perpetually disqualified from obtaining or holding a driver’s license.

If the offender is found to be in possession of a firearm and holds a license to carry it, the license shall be automatically revoked, with perpetual disqualification from securing any license to carry a firearm. (PNA)