Why can’t road safety be top priority?
ROBERT SIY
What was the most serious disaster that affected the country in recent years? Many would say Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013 which claimed about 6,300 lives and devastated Leyte, Samar and several other provinces in the Visayas.
Considerable resources of government—national and local—were harnessed to respond to the emergency and to address the damage to people and property.
Cabinet members were dispatched, budgets were reallocated, and staff were reassigned because everyone recognized the urgency and the need.
Today, an even greater national emergency confronts us. Every day, on average, 27 persons in the Philippines die in road crashes. In a year, that’s close to 10,000 Filipinos.
And the largest share of fatalities is the category of persons 20-29 years of age. They are those in our society who are most energetic and productive. Some are young parents.
In Metro Manila, the largest group of road fatalities, almost 50 percent, are pedestrians.
The trend for the past two decades has been alarming. The number of fatalities increased by around 4 percent per year since 2006, much faster than the rate of growth of the population.
And with today’s rapid pace of motorization (more and more people with rising incomes buying cars and motorcycles), we can expect worsening statistics in the coming years.
This is a catastrophe recurring daily, with thousands of lives at risk. The resulting hardship is considerable—a cost above the estimated P3.5 billion daily economic loss attributed to congestion in Greater Manila.
A massive response is needed to reverse the trends in injuries and fatalities. What can be done?
Public awareness needs to be raised on the gravity of the situation. Decision-makers and commuters need to recognize that the situation is already dire and worsening.
A dramatic change is needed and it should happen now.
The institutional framework for addressing road safety is weak—practically non-existent. There is no accountable agency or person pushing for safe mobility.
Responsibility is spread over several agencies with no one coordinating the different efforts. Even within DOTr, which would be the natural home for a road safety program, one cannot find regular or organic staff who give full time attention to road safety matters.
The situation calls for a national campaign and a “champion” at the highest levels of government, appointed by the President, with clear targets for reducing the number of deaths and injuries on the road.
A unit should be created in DOTr to will lead and coordinate multi-sector programs to promote road safety.
Decisions and action require data. Despite the alarming numbers of injuries and deaths currently reported, there is still likely to be significant underreporting of road crashes in the Philippines.
Some incidents are reported to police or local governments. Other incidents are reported to hospitals and clinics while others are not reported at all.
In some instances, the incidents are reported but the data are not forwarded to or collected by a single collection unit.
To address data shortcomings, the government, with World Bank assistance, is rolling out an integrated, geo-referenced database for road crashes, the Data for Road Incident Visualization Evaluation and Reporting (DRIVER) platform.
The database already covers multiple regions and can integrate road crash data from the police, hospitals and local government units. This central data repository will enable the government to identify places most prone to crashes and require priority corrective intervention.
Our poor road safety record can be traced in part to weaknesses in our prevailing road-based public transport system. To address these concerns, the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) will deliver not only improved services but much lower pollution levels and safer commuting conditions.
The new vehicles themselves will be low emission and have safer design.
In addition, under a new industry business model, drivers will be paid fixed salary and benefits and enjoy decent working hours.
The expected result is safer driving behavior. Drivers will no longer race or compete with competitors to pick up passengers. With limits on working time, drivers will no longer drive excessively long hours as they do now.
One priority should be to make road infrastructure safer. Make sidewalks wider, free of obstructions and parked vehicles, and walkable so pedestrians walk on sidewalks instead of the roadway.
Improve signage and pedestrian crossings so that everyone, especially children, can cross streets safely. Create proper bus stops that are well-lit at night.
Safety also means that commuters and pedestrians can move around without feeling unsafe.
Avoid building elevated crosswalks as these cannot be used by a large segment of the population. They can also attract crime of all kinds.
The best option for a city road is still to establish pedestrian crossings at street level. Ironically, elevated crosswalks tend to attract more car crashes. Those who cannot climb stairs have no choice but to endanger themselves by running across the road.
Reduce speed limits in urban areas. Lowering speed limits to 30 kph from 50-60 kph will save lives. If you are hit by a vehicle traveling at 60 kph while you are crossing the road, there is only 25 percent chance you will survive the crash. If the car is traveling at 30 kph, there is 90 percent chance you will live.
Traffic calming infrastructure, including narrowing roads, can also reduce the risk of crashes and minimize injuries. By making roads narrower and sidewalks wider, vehicles will move slower, with lower probability of cars hitting people or other vehicles.
Finally, there are the usual measures of improving driver training, testing and road safety education so that all motorists internalize safe driving behavior and recognize the priority that pedestrians deserve over private vehicles.
The experience of Typhoon Yolanda has enabled our country to develop better systems for disaster risk management and preparedness. It took 6,300 lives to spur this kind of action.
How many more lives will need to be taken by road crashes before our policy makers make road safety a national priority?
Robert Y. Siy is a development economist, city and regional planner, and public transport advocate. He can be reached at mobilitymatters.ph@yahoo.com or followed on Twitter @RobertRsiy
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