Roads across the Philippines are turning deadlier by the year — and the numbers paint a grim picture.

From January to November 2024, there were a staggering 62,723 road crashes in Metro Manila resulting in 332 deaths, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The top three types of vehicles involved were four-wheeled vehicles which accounted for 54 percent of the crashes, followed by motorcycles at 22.03 percent, and trucks at 7.41 percent.

The situation was no better than the previous year. In 2023, the MMDA recorded 85,954 road mishaps, leaving 352 people dead. Fatal crashes between trucks and motorcycles — as well as involving cars and motorcycles — were the most lethal combinations on the road.

But the carnage on Philippine roads is part of a much larger, global crisis.

The World Health Organization estimates that 1.19-million people die every year in road traffic crashes. Even more alarming, road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5 to 29.

In the Philippines, the death toll has followed a clear and disturbing upward trend.

The Department of Health (DoH) reported that some 12,000 Filipinos die annually in road crashes — a figure that has steadily increased over the last decade. From 7,938 deaths in 2011, the number rose to 11,096 by 2021, with males accounting for a staggering 84 percent of the fatalities.

As reckless driving and fatigue continue to ride on city streets, authorities are shifting their attention to expressways — speedier roads where fewer crashes occur, but where the stakes are often life and death.

Data from the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group showed that 13 percent of the over 31,000 road accidents recorded in 2024 happened on the expressways. Almost all were fatal.

Alarmed by these numbers, Transportation Assistant Secretary and Land Transportation Office chief Vigor D. Mendoza II has ordered tighter enforcement of speed limits and safety protocols on the expressways.

In a 6 May meeting with expressway operators at the LTO Central Office, Mendoza underscored the importance of visibility and swift enforcement.

“The presence alone of the expressway enforcers compels motorists to behave. If they’re speeding, they slow down when they see the enforcers,” he said.

Mendoza said that real-time response was more crucial than flagging violators at exit points.

“What if an accident happens between the point of detection and the exit? That’s why we need to be proactive and quick in our response,” he explained.

Recent incidents have amplified the urgency. After a Solid North Transit bus crashed into other vehicles on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and claimed 10 lives, the LTO ramped up its safety campaign, starting with a sweeping inspection of the company’s operations.

At the Cubao terminal, 740 Solid North drivers and conductors were subjected to mandatory drug testing.

“The instruction of Secretary Vince is clear: we have to make sure all their drivers and conductors are drug-free before they are allowed to operate,” Mendoza said, referring to Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon.

He also made it clear that dodging a drug test would not be tolerated. The bus driver involved in the fatal SCTEX crash had his license revoked after he refused to undergo testing.

On top of this, all Solid North buses now face mandatory roadworthiness inspections. This effort complements Dizon’s directive requiring all public utility vehicle drivers to undergo drug testing every six months.

“While we have been exerting all our efforts for road safety, from quick action against abusive drivers to launching road safety campaigns, cases of road crashes in the past days necessitate more concrete preventive actions,” Mendoza said.

The LTO chief assured the public that what was started with Solid North won’t end there.

“We understand the concerns of our kababayan on this matter, which is why the mass drug testing and mass inspection of buses of Solid North will be replicated in other companies and operators across the country,” he said.

To scale up the campaign, Mendoza has instructed all LTO regional directors to coordinate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in carrying out surprise, random, and mandatory drug tests of PUV drivers — whether they operate motorcycle taxis, buses, or trucks.

Yet, despite these efforts, one question remains: Will stricter rules and tougher checks be enough to make Philippine roads safer for every passenger, in every vehicle, on every route?

Recognizing the need for action, the government launched the Metro Manila Road Safety Action Plan 2024–2028 with the ambitious goal of reducing road crash deaths in the metropolis by 35 percent by 2028. The plan falls under Project 6: Traffic Safety and Education, part of the Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) for Metro Manila funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The CTMP aims to create an inclusive, people-oriented, and sustainable mobility system. It outlines 12 strategic actions, including the urgent upgrade of 209 traffic bottlenecks, with a focus on 42 major intersections, 64 road segments, and seven critical areas.