Amid rash of accidents, Dizon sees need for road safety reforms

Amid the constant occurrence of deadly traffic accidents around the country, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday addressed the need for reforms to improve road safety.

In a consultative meeting with road safety advocates, Dizon said he is working under the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to strengthen policies on passenger safety and convenience following back-to-back road accidents, many of them fatal.

“I think the first step is to acknowledge that the system is not good. It's not good. I think that’s the first step. We’re all drivers here, we’re all road users--- I am both a driver and a cyclist… My point here is, if we don’t acknowledge that the system has failed, then (it's) useless. It’s that simple, and we really have to acknowledge it to its core,” the DOTr head said.

“I believe that these accidents are actually preventable, you know? We’re not gonna be able to prevent every accident… They’re accidents… but there are things that we can do. I will not accept this idea of helplessness, na parang wala tayong magagawa (like there’s nothing we can do about it) because I feel we can do something about this,” he added.

Included in the solutions proposed in the discussion are mandatory drug testing for drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs), enhanced monitoring of license applications, tougher penalties for road violations, and the implementation of no-contact apprehension policy. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/RF, GMA Integrated News