12k Filipinos die every year due to road accidents — DOH

As the Department of Health (DOH) commemorates Road Safety Month, Health spokesperson Albert Domingo on Friday said that an average of 12,000 Filipinos die yearly due to road accidents.

“Every year, on average, nasa mga 12,000… na Pilipino ang namamatay dahil sa banggaan, dahil sa pagtawid na nasasagasaan, at ang gumagamit ng motorsiklo, bisikleta, at pati ‘yung mga sumasakay sa tricycle,” Domingo said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.

(Every year, on average, around 12,000 Filipinos die due to road accidents, pedestrians who are hit while crossing the street as well as those who use motorcycle and bicycle riders, and tricycles.)

Domingo said that road traffic deaths in the country increased from 7,938 in 2011 to 11,096, 84% of which were males.

Meanwhile, road traffic injuries rank 8 among the top causes of death worldwide.

“Ang DOH, ang pananaw niya is mag-improve, gumanda yung ating awareness, understanding, at yung attitude ng ating mga kababayan tungo sa road safety,” he said.

(The DOH seeks to improve our awareness, understanding, and attitude on road safety.)

The DOH spokesperson also advised the public to walk instead of riding a vehicle if their destination is near and there is sufficient shade to do so.

According to Domingo, the DOH seeks to decrease road traffic deaths by 35% by 2028 through the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan and the Inter-Agency Technical Working group on active transport.

“Ang vision natin is actually a Philippine society with zero deaths on the road,” he said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News