Top 5 Most Accident-Prone Roads in Metro Manila

No driver wants to be involved in a car accident. In fact, there are many who drive conscientiously on the road, work within the speed limits, and invest in long-term car insurance policies to make sure their bases are all covered. But accidents can still happen. And worse, they happen when we least expect them.

Here are the top 5 most accident-prone streets in Metro Manila. We hope you’ll use them to make informed decisions that will keep you and your loved ones safe on the road:

5. Alabang Zapote Road

This four-lane national road named for two of the barangays it connects (Alabang in Muntilupa and Zapote in Las Pinas) is a common access road to Las Pinas and other Southern areas of the Philippines. This road is often jammed up in traffic, due to the frequent road-widening or expansive construction taking place somewhere.

Since cars are almost always in bumper-to-bumper mode, the most frequent accidents are minor fender benders as a result of tailgating other cars. Road rage is also a common occurrence, especially when traffic comes to a dead stop.

Alabang-Zapote road is also known for its fast-moving trucks. And with many undisciplined pedestrians refusing to use the overpass, you can see why there are approximately 201 pedestrian casualties that happen each year alone.

4. Quirino Highway

Formerly called the Manila-del Monte Garay Road, the Quirino Highway is situated in Quezon City and leads through Novaliches, some parts of Bulacan, and North Luzon Express Interchange. It’s named after Elipidio Quirino, the sixth president of the Philippines.

Quirino Highway is almost always saturated in traffic daily, and the accident toll on this highway is around 2,000. It has around 222 pedestrian deaths or injuries, and  218 driver casualties.  The most common causes of these collisions are over-speeding and drunk-driving.

3. C-5

The Circumferential Road 5, or more popularly known as the C-5 or C-5 Road, is a network of bridges and roads that spans through the cities of Quezon City, Makati, Parañaque, Taguig, Pasig, Marikina, Valenzuela, and Pasig. It's considered the second most important road after EDSA.

Aside from being prone to liquefaction and its "not-so good" location on top of the Marikina West Valley Fault line, C5 also has one of the highest driver casualties today, with 450 drivers killed or injured on the road. Almost 55% of all road mishaps were driver-related compared to passenger and pedestrian accidents.

C5 is particularly dangerous at night, especially the stretch between Market! Market! and Kalayaan Avenue. Many drivers report people throwing rocks at their cars, or having their tires "spiked" by nails.

2. Commonwealth Avenue

Located in the heart of Quezon City, Commonwealth Ave was formerly known as Don Mariano Marcos Ave, the father of President Ferdinand Marcos. It has beaten EDSA's record in the past, and is now considered the widest road in the Philippines. Currently, C-5 has 18 lanes at its widest part.

Many of the vehicular accidents happen along Commonwealth due to drunk-driving and using cellphones while driving. It’s also a magnet for over-speeding drivers. Care should be taken when crossing the road. It’s very important for pedestrians to use the overpass placed in designated areas.

Commonwealth Avenue is the only road that has more passenger casualties than driver and pedestrian accidents. Around 450 passengers were injured or killed here, and trailing behind are EDSA and C-5.

1. EDSA

What would the most dangerous roads in the country be without EDSA? Short for Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, EDSA is named after Epifanio de los Santos, the greatest Filipino genius after the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal. EDSA passes through Makati, Pasay, Caloocan, San Juan, Quezon City, and Mandaluyong. It also connects the North and South Luzon Expressway.

Considered the longest and most congested highway, EDSA’s chaotic mishmash of cars, buses, motorcycles, and trucks increase the odds of collision far many vehicles. In fact, the number of accidents here have reached so high that MMDA had it blessed in 2012 following a bus crash on the EDSA-Ortigas overpass.

The most number of road accidents are caused by jaywalkers and driver errors. EDSA tops the list of having 407 driver casualties, 324 passenger casualties and 256 pedestrians injured or killed while walking along its wide (and sometimes narrow) stretch.

Accidents can happen, but it shouldn’t stop you from taking control of your life. Know which roads are relatively unsafe, and avoid taking those routes as much as possible. Of course, you have to be realistic here: it’s highly unlikely that you can really avoid using them from time to time. The best thing you can do is to always remain vigilant and alert when driving by these roads.