Vehicles are stuck in traffic along the northbound lane of EDSA Guadalupe. — PHILIPPINE STAR/WALTER BOLLOZOS

The Philippines placed 7th out of 35 nations for the most stressful countries for learner drivers, Zutobi, a driver education platform said. 

Congestion, road traffic deaths, registered vehicles, and road quality score were the four categories used for the ranking system. 

The Philippines received a 46% congestion rate, a 12.0 for road traffic death rate per 100,000 people, 8,005 registered vehicles per 100,000 people, and a 3.7 score for the percentage of electronic vehicles (EVs).  

Overall, the country tallied 3.21 points out of 10. 

Meanwhile, Poland ranked first with a total of 2.14 points, highlighting the significant challenges in road safety and fatalities. Malaysia and Greece both followed with a 2.38 score. 

 

Road safety in the Philippines 

The Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department cited a 2023 study by the TomTom Traffic Index stating that Metro Manila has the worst traffic congestion among metro areas globally.  

To address the road traffic difficulties and issues in the Philippines, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners launched the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan (PRSAP) 2023-2028 last June 2023. 

Strategizing different solutions helps solve the daily problems of road users, the Vehicle Inspection Center Operators Association of the Philippines (VICOAP) Board Secretary John Alison ‘Tonton’ Uy told BusinessWorld in an interview on June 4. 

“Road safety… can’t be solved by one solution only.”  

Five pillars were established in the PRSAP to address road traffic concerns and create a safer environment on the road. 

  • Road safety management 
  • Safer road  
  • Safer vehicles  
  • Safer road users  
  • Post-crash response  

Further, PRSAP aims to reduce approximately 35% of road traffic fatalities in the country by 2028.  

According to the Department of Health (DOH) last May 10, road crash-related injuries fatalities are continuously rising and remain the top cause of death among the youth.  

“We have 12,000 people dying every year from road traffic that’s amounting to 2.6% of our GDP, and no one is really giving it a lot of thought,” Mr. Uy said. – Almira Louise S. Martinez

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