New WHO report highlights progress, but cites need for more actions to tackle road safety in the Philippines

A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates road traffic deaths continue to rise in the Philippines, with estimated 12,690 deaths in 2016. The WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018 also highlights that road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of children and young people aged 5-29 years around the world.

“One death is too many when it comes to road crashes because we know that it is highly preventable,” said WHO Representative in the Philippines Dr Gundo Weiler. “There are proven solutions available to protect Filipinos on the road. While there are strong legislations in the country, we continue to call on the government and various road safety partners to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of these laws.”

The WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018 shows an increasing trend in road traffic deaths in the Philippines. Philippine data show that approximately half of these deaths are among vulnerable road users – motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists. In addition to deaths, there are thousands of road users who get injured and disabled from road crashes. Road traffic injuries also cost about 2.6% of the country’s gross domestic product.

To address road safety issues, the Philippines developed the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan 2017-2022, adopting a vision of zero road traffic death, with an interim target to reduce road death rate by at least 20% by 2022. The interventions are organized according to the Action Plan of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, focusing on the following: (1) road safety management, (2) safe roads and mobility; (3) safe vehicles; (4) safe road users; and (5) post-crash care.

Based on the WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, the Philippines is progressing in the area of road safety management with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as the lead agency with some funding, coordination and legislative authority in place to lead implementation of the country’s multisectoral road safety action plan.

The Philippines has also shown progress in the areas of safer roads and mobility and having available regular data on road traffic fatalities. There are already existing legislations on managing speed, drink-driving, motorcycle helmet use, seatbelt use, and anti-distracted driving (mobile phone use while driving), but there remain issues on effective enforcement of these laws. A bill on child restraint has been approved in Senate and House of Representatives, and a national child restraint law will likely be signed into law by the President within the next few months.

The report emphasized the lack of national vehicle standards, which the Government will have to address to ensure safer vehicles. Post-crash or pre-hospital care will also need to be improved to save more lives on the road.

“We need to acknowledge that road users and administrators are accountable for each day a road crash occurs. But, through multi-sectoral collaboration, issues and challenges are now being given appropriate solutions. In fact, we have reached a point where progress is being achieved more quickly,” said Department of Transportation Undersecretary Mark Richmund de Leon.