Sandro Marcos pushes to criminalize road rage

House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos is seeking to criminalize road rage and impose stiffer penalties for aggressive and retaliatory driving through House Bill No. 8190, or the proposed “Anti-Road Rage Act.”

The measure aims to draw a clear legal distinction between ordinary traffic violations and deliberate acts that endanger lives.

Marcos said the proposal is grounded in public safety, stressing that when anger escalates on the road, the consequences often extend beyond those directly involved, putting commuters, passengers, and pedestrians at risk.

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

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

The bill enumerates prohibited acts, including driving in a manner that endangers others, using a vehicle to intimidate or pursue another motorist, and threatening or assaulting a person in connection with a traffic altercation.

Marcos said the definition would give law enforcers and prosecutors clearer authority to address conduct that often escalates from minor disputes into pursuits, obstruction, threats of violence, and, in some cases, injury or death.

The proposed penalties include imprisonment of six months and one day to one year, or a fine ranging from P20,000 to P100,000, or both, if the offense does not result in damage, injury or death.

If road rage leads to property damage or physical injury, the penalty increases to two years and one day to four years of imprisonment, or a fine of P100,000 to P200,000, or both.

Should the incident result in two or more less serious physical injuries, or in serious physical injury or death, the offender would be prosecuted for intentional felonies under the Revised Penal Code, with penalties imposed in their maximum period, in addition to a fine of P200,000 to P500,000.

The bill specifies that these penalties are without prejudice to any civil liability for damages.

To address behavioral issues, the measure requires offenders in all cases to undergo court-mandated anger management training, in coordination with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Marcos said the objective is to ensure accountability that is both punitive and corrective, particularly amid the proliferation of viral road rage incidents that may normalize intimidation and encourage copycat behavior.

The bill also provides for maximum penalties when aggravating circumstances are present, such as when the offender carries, brandishes, or uses a deadly weapon or firearm — whether licensed or not — or an object made to appear as one, or when the victim is a minor, pregnant woman, senior citizen, or person with disability. The same applies if the offender is a uniformed personnel tasked with maintaining law and order.

The proposed measure further mandates the immediate suspension of the accused’s driver’s license pending investigation. Upon final determination of liability, the offender would be perpetually disqualified from obtaining or holding a driver’s license.