1,670 Filipino kids die from road crashes annually

Public interest group ImagineLaw said that the government needs to look at the initiatives on saving the 1,670 young lives that are victimized by road crashes every year.

The group shared the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) during a mural unveiling for the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The aforementioned number is part of the 12,000 road-related fatalities in the country annually.

ImagineLaw Project Manager for Road Safety Atty. Daphne Marcelo said that there is a need for the continuous improvement of road infrastructure, updating policies and enforcing traffic laws “to make sure they are inclusive of children’s safety.” “Playing outside or commuting to school should not be a death sentence for children,” she said. 

The group said that blaming parents solely for road crash deaths among children is “unproductive, misguided, and myopic.” “Everyone–government and community leaders, parents and teachers, and road users–has a role to play in making our streets safe for children,” Marcelo said. “Our road system should be designed to protect the lives of the most vulnerable road users such as children and pedestrians,” Marcelo added.

Meanwhile, various government sectors expressed their commitment to ensure road safety.

“One death is too many. No family deserves a lifetime of grief and suffering from a loss of a loved one in a road crash,” Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Steven Pastor said. “Let this day be a reminder of our shared responsibility on the road in keeping our streets safe for children and all road users.”

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Chairman Romando Artes said the agency will support advocacies that will protect children in roads throughout the country.

Located in the MMDA Children’s Road Safety Park, the newly-unveiled “Keeping our Streets for Children” mural features 1,670 hand prints of Filipino children calling to reclaim Philippine streets for their safety.

Per DOTr, the National Coalition for Child Traffic Injury Prevention was made to “ensure that the government addresses the road safety problem and ensure that all Filipino children are safe from road hazards.” The alliance is led by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) with members including concerned government agencies, non-government organizations, academe, private sector, and civil society groups.

Photos from ImagineLaw, Department of Transportation

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