The Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office on Monday issued a stern warning to all motorists to follow traffic rules to avoid vehicular accidents.
This, after two separate road crash incidents resulted in the death of two motorcycle drivers on January 6.
On Saturday morning, a 23-year-old woman was killed after being hit by a trailer truck near Landmark, Carlos P. Garcia Highway in Sasa. About three hours later, a 47-year-old man died after he was hit by a truck in Fausta, Barangay Calinan.
CTTMO Head Dionisio Abude said both incidents were caused by human error.
The incident in Landmark, Abude said, was the result of the motorcycle overtaking the trailer truck through a blind spot which resulted in the motorcycle driver getting run over.
The road crash in Calinan, he said, was also the result of human error and disregard of traffic rules.
“Kadtong nahitabo sa Calinan pud, blatant gyud to siya na pag-disregard sa traffic rules. Kung approaching ta og intersection, dapat mu-menor man gyud ka. Both drivers nagpaturatoy sila mao to nag-abot sila sa kanto sa crossing gyud (What happened in Calinan was a blatant disregard to traffic rules. If we are approaching an intersection, we are required to slow down. Both drivers did not do such thing which resulted in a crash at the intersection),” Abude said in an interview with the City Information Office.
Abude said the incidents prove the need for more stringent implementation of traffic rules and subsequent penalties.
“So kana tanang panghitabo is drivers’ error gyud, human error kung atong tanawon […] Disregard gyud siya sa laing nag-gamit sa kalsada. Mao na nga dapat patas-an gyud ang mga penalty ug kanang revocation o suspension sa mga driver (So all that occurred was the result of the drivers’ error, human error if we really look at it […] It really was a disregard for others on the road. This is why we really must raise the penalty and revoke or suspend the drivers),” he said.
The CTTMO chief also said that a criminal case must be filed by the local government against offending motorists in the event of a casualty.
Abude said the new speed limit policy to be implemented on January 11 may help curb the number of road crashes on major highways as it includes higher penalties and a more comprehensive speed limit for heavy vehicles. However, the discipline of motorists, he said, remains the most crucial element in traffic safety.
“Tabang siya pero dili guarantee nga wala’y ma-disgrasya kay depende gihapon sa driver. Especially karon na aduna na’y kausaban ang speed limit (It can help but it will not guarantee that there will be no more accidents because it still depends on the driver. Especially now that there are changes to the speed limit),” CIO