ASEAN NCAP holds 7th Automobile Safety Forum in PH

The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asia, otherwise known as the ASEAN NCAP, recently held its 7th ASEAN Automobile Safety Forum in Makati City recently, with invited gusts from both the public and private sectors giving the members of Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), the proponent behind the ASEAN NCAP, and both the international and local media a summary of the state of road safety in the Philippines.

By the Numbers

While covering the event, Carmudi Philippines noted some of the data gathered specifically by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Philippine National Police's Highway Patrol Group, such as: 17 million - issued driver's license in the Philippines 8.5 million - registered vehicles in the Philippines, 5 million of which are in Metro Manila 262 - the average number of car crashes in Metro Manila per day, or 11 per hour 69.3 - the percentage of road crashes that can directly be attributed to the driver's behavior 53 - the percentage of fatalities involving motorcycle riders 15 - the percentage of road crashes that are only being reported (limited to on-scene deaths and injuries) 1 - the number of fatalities per hour as a result of road crashes

The Modern Jeepney

The DOTr also shared its plans for the modern jeepney once the omnibus franchising guidelines for public transportation is signed before the end of May 2017. Some of these are:

• Compliant with  safety and environmental standards;
• Will be powered by a Euro 4 emission-standard engine, at the very least;
• Have its entry and exit on the right side, with the rear exit serving as an emergency exit only; and
• Be equipped with a speed limiter, an onboard dashboard-mounted camera, GPS monitoring system, and CCTV system.

The DOTr also said that the government will help subsidize the cost of the new and improved jeepneys for current public utility jeepney drivers and operators provided they turn over their old and dilapidated jeepneys to ensure that they will no longer operate them.

The Internet's Role in Automobile Safety

Carmudi Philippines was also invited to the event to discuss about the internet's role in disseminating information about automobile safety, like how the availability of online data help consumers identify a vehicle's safety features. "The availability of online data increases general consumer awareness regarding vehicle safety," said Carmudi Philippines Chief Operation Officer  Juan Gregorio Syquia. "Using technologies, such as the internet, we may now educate both consumers and end-users toward both the availability of safety features and its proper utilization."