Traffic Laws, Rules and Regulations
The legal frame
Philippine traffic law rests on Republic Act No. 4136, the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, together with its implementing rules, LTO memoranda and special statutes such as RA 8750 (seat belts), RA 10586 (anti-drunk driving), RA 11229 (child restraints) and RA 10930 (license validity). Exam items rarely quote section numbers; they test the rules of the road those laws contain.
Rules you must be able to state
- Keep right. Drive on the right side of the road and overtake on the left. Passing on the right is a narrow exception, essentially when the vehicle ahead is turning or positioned to turn left.
- Right of way. A vehicle already inside the intersection, or travelling on a through street, has priority. A driver turning left across oncoming traffic must yield. At an uncontrolled junction, give way to the vehicle approaching from your right.
- No overtaking near crests, blind curves, bridges, railway crossings, tunnels and intersections where visibility is limited.
- Speed. Default limits under RA 4136: about 80 km/h for cars and motorcycles (50 for trucks and buses) on open country roads; 40/30 on through streets and boulevards; 30 km/h on city streets with light traffic; 20 km/h in congested districts. Posted signs and local ordinances override the defaults.
- Parking and stopping. Keep clear of intersections, crosswalks, fire hydrants, driveways and fire lanes.
Trap
Questions love the word "always." Overtaking on the right is not always illegal, and a green light does not always mean go - you still yield to traffic and pedestrians already in the junction.
Rule of thumb
When right of way is unclear: whoever is already there goes first; the turning vehicle waits; the most exposed road user is protected.