IMAGINE a plane crash with 36 persons killed. What if this happened every single day for years? It would be a national emergency. It would be on the front page of every newspaper and the top news story every morning. The president would be calling Cabinet meetings to solve this crisis. Yet comparable numbers die in land transport crashes daily. But is anyone taking notice? Shouldn’t it be a Cabinet-level concern?
The Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 13,125 deaths due to land transport accidents in 2023, an average of 36 daily and 7.2 percent more than in 2022. Behind every number is a family that has lost a loved one, a breadwinner or a future.
The victims include children as well as Filipinos in their prime. Globally, road traffic injuries remain the leading killer of persons aged five to 29. Many survivors face permanent disability. More than half of those killed are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle riders. We need to make road safety everybody’s business.
Up until now, we have designed our roads and bridges to facilitate faster travel by private motor vehicles, placing the convenience of car-owners above the safety and welfare of the vast majority of Filipinos. When crashes occur, the frequently-cited cause is human error — “kamote” drivers or pedestrians who didn’t follow rules. “Disiplina” is then pushed as the solution. Better enforcement, more driver training and stricter licensing may help, but they are far from sufficient.
The Safe System Approach, promoted by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, begins with the premise that human mistakes are inevitable, even with the best training and incentives. The human body can withstand only limited force. Transport systems should therefore minimize mistakes and ensure that, when they occur, people are not killed or seriously injured. Responsibility is shared by road users, road designers, vehicle manufacturers, transport operators and government decision-makers. Safety must be built into the system.
Road safety management is about according road safety the high-level attention and priority that it deserves. It means applying a whole-of-government approach, assigning Cabinet-level accountability and establishing a dedicated coordinating and monitoring unit with permanent staff and sufficient budget. Reliable crash and injury data should guide investments and measure results. National agencies and local governments should have clear responsibilities, deadlines and targets for reducing deaths and serious injuries.
Safe roads means designing roads to be forgiving and prioritizing vulnerable road users. Sidewalks should be spacious, continuous and free of hazards or obstructions. Pedestrian crossings should be at street level, accessible to persons with disabilities, and provided where people need to cross. Traffic signals should give children and the elderly sufficient time to cross safely. Painted bike lanes offer little protection; physical barriers are needed to prevent motor vehicles from entering the space reserved for bicycles.
Safe speeds are fundamental. Where motor vehicles mix with pedestrians and cyclists, speeds should generally be limited to 30 kilometers per hour or less. Higher speeds increase both the likelihood of a crash and the severity of injury. Posting a speed limit is insufficient and ineffective if the road encourages fast driving. Lane narrowing, speed humps, raised crossings and other traffic calming measures should make slower speeds the natural behavior. Around schools and on shared neighborhood streets, even lower speeds (10-20 kph) are appropriate.
Safe vehicles require rigorous inspection to ensure that brakes, tires, lights and other essential equipment are working. Governance arrangements should make it difficult to circumvent the inspection process. Vehicle standards should protect occupants as well as people outside the vehicle. Better public transport also matters. Safe, sufficient and attractive services can reduce reliance on private motor vehicles. Bus and jeepney operations should eliminate on-street competition for passengers and give drivers dignified and sufficient compensation.
Safe road use involves licensing, driver training, education and consistent enforcement against speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving. Proper helmets, seat belts and child restraints save lives. Camera-based enforcement can improve the certainty of penalties. But responsible behavior also requires supportive conditions: a pedestrian cannot use a sidewalk that does not exist and a cyclist cannot remain safe in a bike lane occupied by parked cars.
Post-crash response means expeditious and effective emergency care, accessible trauma services and rehabilitation. Victims and families also need psychological and economic support. The quality and timeliness of care can determine whether an injured person survives or suffers permanent disability.
In May 2023, the government launched the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan (PRSAP) 2023–2028, seeking a 35-percent reduction in road traffic deaths by 2028. Yet, as reported by the Philippine News Agency in September, the proposed 2027 budget gives the plan zero funding, despite the Department of Transportation’s request for P111.29 million. Congress should correct this omission.
The budget should fund PRSAP activities, with named implementing agencies and measurable results. Safer school zones, dangerous crossing improvements, speed management and emergency response should receive resources commensurate with the scale of this public health emergency.
A plan without a budget is meaningless. If the government leaves its own plan without funding, we need to assign a major part of the blame for the 13,000+ preventable deaths in 2027 to decision-makers who are remiss in their duty to keep Filipino road users safe at all times.
Robert Y. Siy is a development economist, city and regional planner, and public transport advocate.
