10,000 vehicular accidents in first 4 months of 2016 — police

The Mitsubishi Estrada pickup that carried Mayor Elvis Soria of San Marcelino, Zambales, is a wreck after it collided head-on with a passenger bus along the national highway in Barangay Pamatawan in Subic town. Soria survived the accident but two of his companions died on the spot. INQUIRER FILE / ALLAN MACATUNO

Senate President Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III wants the Senate to look into the “alarming” and “disturbing” number of vehicular accidents in the country with the police recording more than 10,000 incidents in the first four months of 2016 alone.

Pimentel filed Senate Resolution 190, directing the Senate committee on public services chaired by Senator Grace Poe and other appropriate committees to conduct the inquiry aimed at crafting measures that would provide for stricter regulations on road safety, and the inclusion of road courtesy and discipline in the Philippine basic education program, among others.

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“The statistics provided by the Philippine National Police-High Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) shows an alarming increase in vehicular accidents across the country,” the resolution said.

It then cited the data of the PNP-HPG, which showed that in 2014, there were 15,572 vehicular accidents resulting in 1,252 deaths. But the numbers increased in 2015 with 24,565 accidents that resulted in 1,040 deaths.

“In just the first four months of 2016, the PNP-HGP has already recorded 10,656 vehicular accidents in the whole country resulting in 549 deaths,” the resolution said.

The resolution also cited the statistics from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) which showed a “disturbing” increase in vehicular accidents.

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In 2014, the MMDA recorded 90,258 vehicular accidents resulting in 418 deaths and the numbers also rose in 2015 to 95,615 vehicular accidents resulting in 519 deaths “with 99.95 percent of said accidents attributed to human error, such as bad turning, bad overtaking, over speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving, or the use of mobile phone while on the wheel, overloading, and avoiding animals, pedestrians, and other road hazards.”’

“The increase in the frequency of vehicular accidents highlights the pressing need to reassess current road safety rules and regulations and to initiate appropriate legislation to curb the significant number of injuries and casualties caused by non-compliance with traffic and road safety rules and regulations,” it said.

“Since most of the accidents are attributable to human error, then educating our people, including children of school age, is necessary to avert or minimize these alarming vehicular accidents,” it added.

These public safety concerns, the resolution said, could be addressed by having, among other things, appropriate information drives regarding courtesy, discipline, and obedience to traffic laws. The information drive could be conducted regularly by the Land Transportation Office in coordination with local government units.

It added that road courtesy and discipline be included in the curriculum of elementary and secondary students in the country. CBB