AN OFFICIAL from the Davao City Police Office-Traffic Enforcement Unit (DCPO-TEU) reported a notable 53 percent reduction in road accidents from January 1 to 16, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
Deputy Chief Pcpt. Raymundo B. Bacera Jr., bared the statistics during the ISpeak media forum on Thursday morning, January 18, 2024, at the City Mayor’s Office (CMO).
In 2023, there were 213 recorded incidents, while for the first 16 days of 2024, there were only 102.
“Last year may 120 vehicles tayong involved, but now we only have 51 vehicles (Last year we had 120 vehicles involved, but now we only have 51 vehicles),” he said.
He also said that in 2023, 97 percent of accidents resulted from human error, two percent from vehicle defects, and one percent from road defects.
He continued, “Mostly involved nga vehicle itong mga private vehicle these are 40 percent, pinaka daghan sila (Private vehicles were most frequently involved, accounting for 40 percent of incidents).”
Common human errors leading to accidents included texting or calling while driving, overtaking, and speeding.
The peak hours for accidents were identified as between 2 pm to 4 pm.
Meanwhile, Dionisio Abude, head of the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), said that despite the implementation of the New Speed Limit Ordinance in Davao City, it cannot guarantee the absence of road incidents.
"“Kung naa ta’y speed limit, dili nato ma-guarantee nga wala na’y road crash. Mag-depende gyud na sa behavior ug driving habits sa usa ka driver (If we have a speed limit, it still does not guarantee that there won’t be a road crash. It all depends on the behavior and the driving habits of the driver)," Abude said.
Since the ordinance's enforcement on January 11, 2024, CTTMO and DCPO-TEU issued citations to 730 violators, with private vehicles constituting 49 percent of the total, followed by motorcycles, taxis, trucks, public utility jeepneys, buses, and public utility vans. RGP
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