THE RECENT fatal plunge of a bus into a deep ravine in Hamtic, Antique highlighted several causes of fatal road accidents. Among these were poor road condition; absence of street lights, road signage and other warning signs.
The Philippines is notorious for having one of the worst road conditions in the world. There is a need to put in place regulations that will promote a uniform and consistent standard for the design and installation of road signs, waiting sheds, streetlights, speed bumps and other road infrastructures to promote safety. The government, specifically its Department of Public Works and Highways, should regulate road infrastructures to provide reliable road instructions to motorists and improve road safety in our country.
According to the World Health Organization, about 7,000 Filipinos die each year, and thousands more are injured due to road mishaps. Out of this number, 79 percent are due to driver’s errors, 11 percent due to defective vehicles, and 10 percent due to bad road conditions and ill-maintained roads.
The latest data from the Department of Transportation show that death toll due to road mishaps rises by almost 14.6 percent every year. It is projected that by 2020, without any intervention, around 300,000 people will die due to road crashes.
The government should step up in securing the well-being of motorists and the riding public by upgrading and regulating the country’s road infrastructures. These have been neglected for so long. Our roads have become safety hazards in themselves.
