Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 18) — Road crashes are the top killer of children and the youth worldwide, according to the latest global report of the World Health Organization (WHO) that was released on Monday.
The “Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023” found that road traffic injury remains the No. 1 cause of death of school children from age 5 and the youth up to 29 years old. If all ages were to be taken into account, road-related accidents ranked as the 12th killer.
In the Philippines alone, 1,670 children die every year from road crashes or four kids per day, according to local public interest law group ImagineLaw, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
ImagineLaw executive director Sophia San Luis recounts that in the Tupi Municipality in South Cotabato alone, 77 school children lost their lives while crossing the street in 2014.
“Pamilyar tayo sa mga eskwelahan pagdating sa national highways. ‘Yung mga bata pag tumatawid parang patintero with buses and trucks,” San Luis said.
“So gusto po namin na ang lokal na pamahalaan makipagtulungan sa DPWH para i-redesign ang mga kalsada around the schools para ito ay maging safe,” she added.
[Translation: Children crossing the roads is a familiar scenario in school zones. They are like playing patintero with buses and trucks. So, we want local government units to partner with the Department of Public Works and Highways in re-designing roads around schools to make these safe.]
The group wants local executives to mark pedestrian lanes and install road signages in school zones.
Speed limits are already stipulated in a 1954 law. San Luis said at least 40 local government units have enacted local ordinances to impose speed limits, but these were not enforced.
“Gawin nilang slower ang mga speed sa mga kalsada,” she added. “Kaya kami’y nanawagan na itong LGU at LTO (Land Transportation Office) mag-procure na ng speed guns kasi matagal na ang speed limit natin.”
[Translation: They should lower the speed limit. That is why we are urging the LGUs and the LTO to procure speed guns because there are already ordinances on speed limits.]
San Luis said the speed limit in school zones should be at 30 kph to 20 kph, depending on the classification of roads. She added roads requiring an 80 kph speed limit should be lowered to 20 kph.
The WHO report also pointed out that the Philippines’ road designs favor cars and businesses more than pedestrians.
“We need to improve. We need to work with DPWH to further improve our bike lanes and pedestrians,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
Bautista added that the Transportation Department is coordinating with LGUs to police unregistered motorcycles that encroach upon biker lanes.
CNN Philippines correspondent Lois Calderon contributed to this story.
