WHILE recent data from the Department of Health (DOH) shows a promising decline in road crash deaths in Western Visayas — from 8.34% per 100,000 population in 2019 to 7% in 2022 — these numbers still underscore troubling risky behaviors that endanger lives daily.
Drunk driving and the flippant use of motorcycle helmets, often worn on the elbow rather than the head as noted by Dr. May Ann Sta. Lucia, Local Health Support Division Chief of DOH Region 6, are certainly acts of negligence but they are also indicative of deep-seated cultural attitudes that trivialize road safety. This behavior not only jeopardizes the individuals involved but also the broader community which suffers from the consequences of these preventable accidents.
The reduction in road fatalities in recent years is indeed most welcome and largely attributed to targeted road safety campaigns and multisectoral collaborations involving the DOH, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and local government units, among others. However, the persistent high percentage of incidents involving alcohol and improper safety gear usage calls for a cultural shift that no amount of signage or legislative measures can solely rectify.
How can this necessary cultural shift be fostered?
Education must play a foundational role. Initiatives like the localized Johns Hopkins Public Health Road Safety Course are a step in the right direction, but there is a need for these educational efforts to be more widespread and integrated into early schooling and regular driver’s education programs. Such education should not only inform but also challenge existing norms, and emphasize the dire consequences of such negligence through real-life examples and statistical data provided by agencies like the DOH.
Stricter enforcement of existing laws is also important. DOH’s collaboration with the Highway Patrol Group and the Philippine National Police must be intensified with regular sobriety checkpoints, and stricter penalties for those caught driving under the influence or without proper headgear. The enforcement of these laws should be relentless and visible, serving both as a deterrent and a constant reminder of the seriousness with which these issues are regarded.
Local government units in Iloilo and across the region have a big role to play. They must be at the forefront of enforcing and, if necessary, enhancing ordinances that support helmet and seatbelt use, and combat distractive and drunk driving. Public awareness campaigns can be localized to reflect the specific challenges and statistics of the region, making the issue more relatable and urgent to its residents.
As DOH and local authorities press on with their road safety drive, the community at large must reevaluate and change their attitudes towards road safety. The lives saved and injuries prevented by such a shift will not only reflect in statistics but more importantly, in enriched and extended lives.
Without a cultural change, efforts remain only partially effective; with it, they have the power to transform communities.
