Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — With more than 500 deaths in over 95,000 road accidents in the Philippine capital alone last year, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Monday it is high time to include traffic education in the high school curriculum.
MMDA chairman Emerson Carlos said it should be mandatory for high school students aged 14 to 16 to receive traffic education as well as learn road safety principles since this is the right age for learning how to drive the right way.
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The government tried to include traffic education in the grade school curriculum but it was unsuccessful, said Carlos. Private and government road safety groups also proposed a module that they presented to the Department of Education in two previous administrations which took no action on the proposal.
Carlos said traffic education will help curb the alarming number of deaths caused by road accidents worldwide.
In 2015, the MMDA recorded 519 road deaths and more than 95,615 traffic accidents in Metro Manila.
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“Magiging number one killer ang road accidents sa Pilipinas. At hindi ito Manila trend lang, hindi ito Philippine trend lang, but it’s a worldwide trend kaya nga marami nang mga organizations ngayon talagang nag-aadvocate ng road safety,” said Carlos, who opened the MMDA-Institute of Traffic Management’s first Road Safety Forum on Monday (May 23).
[Translation: Road accidents will be the number one killer in the Philippines. This isn’t just a Manila or Philippine trend, but it’s a worldwide trend that’s why there are many organizations advocating road safety.]
Carlos said strict enforcement and compliance to traffic rules will make road safety efforts effective.
“I-review natin kung sino talagang karapat-dapat magkaroon ng lisensya at karapatan mag-drive sa ating mga lansangan. Kung ang mga lansangan natin ay nagiging killer na, dapat ito ay ating sugpuin,” said Carlos.
[Translation: Let’s review who should rightfully have a driver’s license and should be allowed to drive on our roads. If our roads are becoming deadly, we must stop it.]
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