MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday said the government would push through with a planned “shame campaign” against motorists who blatantly violate traffic rules, reinforcing the state’s duty to ensure safer roads.

Transport chief pushes shame campaign vs errant motorists

Dizon said the move was aimed at disciplining hard-headed drivers whose reckless actions continued to endanger the public despite repeated enforcement measures.

“The government is simply asking everyone to follow the rules and regulations on the road. Let’s not be hardheaded,” Dizon said.

The transportation chief clarified that the shame campaign would be reserved for “grave violators” and that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has tasked lawyers to study the legal boundaries of such a measure.

“We are consulting with lawyers on what can and cannot be done. But I think we really need to implement this to send a message,” he said.

Dizon said the campaign would not target minor infractions but was intended to highlight dangerous and repeat offenders whose actions risk lives and worsen traffic conditions.

“This plan will be taken seriously. We need to show the public that these kinds of drivers should not be emulated,” he added.

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The proposal echoes earlier “name-and-shame” drives carried out by local governments and traffic enforcement units, including the publication of photographs of violators and the release of videos of erring motorists caught on closed-circuit television. These efforts, however, often drew mixed reactions from motorists’ groups, some of whom questioned whether such measures respect due process and the right to privacy.

Dizon said the DOTr was mindful of these concerns, which is why the program is undergoing legal review before being rolled out nationwide.

“We need to teach a lesson to those who are really hardheaded on the road,” he said.

Road safety advocates have long called for stricter enforcement of traffic laws amid rising cases of reckless driving, drunk driving, and road rage incidents. Government data show that traffic-related accidents remain one of the leading causes of injury and death in the country, particularly in highly urbanized areas.