Kamote is real.

For those who don't know, kamote (Filipino for "sweet potato") is a derogatory term for drivers, particularly motorcyclists, who behave badly on the road.

While it is so, I do believe that most “kamote moves” exhibited by some fellow motorcycle riders on the road are unintentional and mainly a result of ignorance of road-safety standards and traffic laws.

So let us rid ourselves of such dangerous practices and start anew in 2023 with the proper safety-riding mindset.

Here are a few items that we could add to our New Year’s resolutions:

I will no longer stop under a foot bridge to shelter from the rain

A good number of riders do this during a sudden downpour.

As more riders try to shelter, motorcycles will spread towards the middle of the road, blocking traffic flow.

Since visibility is limited when raining, other motorists might fail to see the “wall” of motorcycles blocking the path.

I will always wear my helmet, even on short rides

Did you know that most motorcycle crashes happen just five minutes away from home?

So, make sure to gear up even when you are just on your way to the neighborhood bakery to buy pandesal. 

It is the law, after all.  

I will never take on more than one pillion (passenger)

All motorcycles available locally are designed to be ridden by a rider and a passenger.

Having more than two occupants on a bike will adversely affect its handling and braking performance, aside from being a traffic violation.

Besides, who gets to decide who sits in the middle anyway?

I will no longer ride against the flow of the opposite lane

A traffic jam is the great equalizer.

Everybody has to sit in it, unless you are a motorcycle skilled in lane-filtering.

But where do you draw the line between lane-filtering and counterflow? Why, right in the middle of a two-way street, of course.

I will never race my motorcycle on public roads

Public roads are meant to be shared with other motorists.

There is no checkered flag at the stoplight. There are no competitors, just fellow road users trying to get home safely to their families at the end of the day.

If you like to ride fast, do it on the track. When it comes to using public roads, slow is the new cool.

How about you? Which one will you add to your New Year’s resolutions?

Let us all be safer motorcyclists. Kamote is so 2022!