MANILA, Philippines – About 12,000 Filipinos die due to road crashes every year, accounting for both pedestrians and motorists.

United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt said boosting the educational campaign on road safety and a better enforcement enforcement of traffic rules could be the key. It could help improve the country’s road safety statistics.

Todt, a former Formula 1 racing executive, visited Manila from November 7 to 11 to meet with key government officials — including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“You need to educate young people,” Todt said, recalling how in Bangkok, children as young as 4 and 5 years old were already learning how to behave when riding a bicycle on the streets.

“It’s very important to improve the present and to build the future,” he said.

The Department of Health (DOH), through its Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, saw that 31.1% of injuries logged in the country’s database in 2023 can be traced to a vehicular accident.

But road traffic accidents have been declining, according to data from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

In 2024, 85,954 road traffic accidents have been recorded so far, lower compared to the 121,771 logged in 2019, said DILG Undersecretary for Public Safety Serafin Barretto Jr. during the press briefing on November 11. Metro Manila, however, remains to be the hotspot for these accidents.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa emphasized: “The emergency room is the recipient of society’s bad behavior.” The trauma surgeon pointed out that most of these accidents happen because motorists fail to take basic safety precautions — going on a motorcycle drive without a helmet, texting while driving, drunk driving, and failing to secure themselves with a seat belt, among others.

A road safety plan exists

In May 2023, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan, which maps out the country’s initiatives from 2023 to 2028. It already covers road safety management, having safer infrastructure and vehicles on the road, and public awareness for road safety programs.

“You have a great action plan which has been published by the Secretary of Transport, but that is your first step,” Todt said. “What is very important is implementation.”

Todt said Marcos committed to create of a task force to implement the plan, which includes representatives from several government agencies such as the DOTr, DILG, DOH, and the Department of Education, among others.

According to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, the task force will also receive help from different non-government organizations and embassies.

“We can make good reports to, not only the President, but report to the people so that the people will be more involved because… it is not just a responsibility of government to reduce road traffic [accidents], it’s the responsibility of everybody,” Bautista said.

Aside from programs for motorists, the transport secretary added that the task force will look into developing and improving infrastructure for pedestrians.

“This one we will discuss with the Department of Public Works and Highways so that for future construction of roads and improvement of roads, the improvement of pedestrian lanes can be considered,” Bautista said.

The DOH is proposing the creation of a road safety index. “Maybe the first approach is to really find out which of these roads can be fixed.”

Herbosa pointed out that some roads may need better lighting to help avoid accidents from happening, while others may need an overpass to keep pedestrians safe.

“It’s all about the roads, the vehicle, and then the driver so it’s not about really the area. It’s really the three factors that we need to fix,” Herbosa said.

Requiring two helmets?

Meanwhile, with more commuters in the metro now preferring motorbikes — as a cheaper alternative for commute and as a way to beat traffic — Todt is recommending that the bikes be sold with at least two helmets.

The daily volume of motorcycles in Metro Manila jumped to 1.67 million in 2023 from 433,340 in 2013, based on a study by the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department. Motorcyle accidents grew as well — with 36,486 in 2023 from 20,272 in 2013.

But the number of accidents could be higher in provinces.

“The helmet is mandatory but there are many places in the provinces where they don’t use helmets,” Bautista said, noting that better enforcement of safety measures with the help of the DILG, among others, would be needed.

Todt said he recommended to Marcos that each motorbike in the Philippines should be sold or come with at least two UN-standard helmets.

Motorcycle drivers in the Philippines are required by law to wear helmets whenever they are on the road.

However, Todt pointed out that in most cases, the motorcycle would have two passengers — the driver and a passenger. – Rappler.com