Speeding coffins

The roads are becoming more and more dangerous for Filipinos.

Last month in Antipolo City, a man in a black sport utility vehicle (SUV) pulled out a gun and cold-bloodedly shot dead a motorcycle rider following a road altercation that looked like a scene out of an action movie.

A few weeks later, a drowsy driver rammed his bus into multiple vehicles at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, leaving a horrifying trail of destruction with 10 deaths and 37 injured, including women and children.

Just last Sunday, another vehicular tragedy shocked the country when an SUV suddenly accelerated and crashed into a protective bollard at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The crash claimed the lives of a four-year-old girl and a 29-year-old man and left several others injured. Surveillance footage indicated the driver had just helped a passenger with her luggage before the vehicle unexpectedly surged forward after he stepped on the gas instead of the brakes.

The authorities said the incident did not initially appear intentional, but the driver is in custody and will undergo a drug test.

This harrowing series of accidents underscores the persistent and systemic issues plaguing road safety in the Philippines.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, road traffic deaths surged by 39 percent from 7,938 in 2011 to 11,062 in 2021. In 2023, the number of cases soared to 13,125 — the highest recorded in over a decade.

The deaths accounted for 1.9 percent of all deaths nationwide, with young adults aged 20 to 24 consistently accounting for the largest number of fatalities in land transport-related accidents from 2010 to 2023.

The country’s roads are no longer safe. Whether the accidents are caused by mechanical failure, human error, lack of enforcement, or road rage, the results are the same: lives lost, families broken, and a nation scared for its life.

There’s really a need for urgent and comprehensive road safety measures to avoid turning our transport system into a death sentence for both drivers and passengers.

In this Road Safety Month of May, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) launched a campaign to curb accidents. With the theme “Drive to Protect: Safe Streets, Safe Children,” both agencies are rolling out educational campaigns, stricter enforcement, a school outreach, and partnerships with local government units and various stakeholders.

Before this, the DoTr and the LTO collaborated with the World Health Organization to roll out the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan 2023-2028.

This plan aims to reduce road traffic deaths by 35 percent by 2028 through a multi-faceted approach encompassing road safety management, safer roads and vehicles, improved road user behavior, and enhanced post-crash response.

One notable initiative under this plan was the establishment by the LTO of the Road Safety Interactive Center. The state-of-the-art facility employs interactive tools for Filipinos, including driving simulators and educational exhibits, to instill road safety awareness among the youth.

Further, the LTO has partnered with educational institutions to conduct free seminars on traffic regulations and road safety, targeting the younger demographic that is increasingly involved in traffic violations and accidents.

But programs and campaigns alone are not enough to save lives.

The effectiveness of all these measures still banks on consistent implementation, stakeholder engagement, and public compliance. At the end of the day, motorists must still drive with discipline and concern for others while pedestrians must be vigilant and law-abiding.

On the same note, operators and fleet owners — especially owners of buses and trucks — must place a special premium on maintenance and inspection, fully knowing that their vehicles are vulnerable to mechanical failure that could lead to tragedy.

Of course, the government must do its part by fulfilling its mandate with honesty, consistency and integrity.

Coming up with safe roads is not as simple as it looks. It should be a concerted effort not just by the motorists, but all stakeholders.

The series of recent road tragedies is a somber reminder of the consequences of inaction. It should serve as a wake-up call, a stern warning that something must be done before our vehicles turn into our speeding coffins.