Bill 60, authored by Sen. Mana Silva Taijeron, takes out the provisions regarding how many people can sit in the bed of the truck to include their age and adds a provision imposing a fine of $100 for each passenger riding in the bed of a truck.
Testimony was heard by officials on the bill during a public hearing hosted by the Committee on Public Safety, Law Enforcement and Judiciary.
Severe
Elaine Damian of Yigo informed the panel that her godson, a senior at Simon Sanchez High School, was the individual riding in the bed of a pickup truck on Jan. 13 when the driver lost control and slammed into a concrete pole near the entrance of Potts Junction. There were four boys inside the truck.
She described how the other boys were treated for injuries and released, while her godson sustained severe injuries.
“He was given 16 bags of blood because he lost so much,” she said, adding that her godson had to undergo surgery and was in ICU for a week before being transferred to the Skilled Nursing Unit in Barrigada Heights for therapy.
“His hospital bill alone is $150,000. At a time when students his age are getting letters of acceptance to colleges, he is getting referrals for off island that have been approved. While his parents should be planning travel arrangements for him to go off island for college, they’re making for off island medical care because the doctors here can only do so much,” she said.
Damian said he was supposed to testify on Friday but couldn’t because of doctors appointments and she is leaving this weekend.
“He could be your nephew. He could be your godson. He could be your son. I come to you for your support of this bill and make it safe for everyone on this island. Our roads aren’t the way it was 50 years ago. We’ve come a long way and legislation has to pass not only to keep the passengers safe but the driver’s as well,” she said.
Against
Not everyone agreed with Taijeron’s measure. Resident David Uson was one of those against Bill 60. In a written testimony, he described growing up riding in the back of a truck with his siblings. He said that the recent accidents involving people ejected from the bed of a truck were the result of “recklessness on the part of the drivers.”
“This sounds like a knee-jerk reaction to the recent incidents. It’s tragic, but look at the overall picture. I live in a tropical island and this is Guam. I always thought it was cool going to the beach or the ranch riding in the back of the truck,” he said in his testimony.
Taijeron admits the bill is not popular but emphasized the safety issue.
“The bed is made for carrying cargo and not people,” she said. “I do acknowledge that riding the back of a truck is common on Guam, but the need to ensure the safety of our people far outweighs the inconvenience to some.”
Supporter
Another supporter of the bill is Ruben Olivas, of the Guam Fire Department, who commended Taijeron on her legislation.
“If this bill is passed, it would make it easier for officers to enforce it. On top of that, it will save lives,” said Olivas who pointed out he’s seen his share of deaths in vehicle accidents, and a lot had to do with people riding in the back of trucks.
Bill 60 has been referred back to committee for further review and markups. Palacios indicated that it wouldn’t be on the agenda at the next session.
