DOH reports 383 road accidents during Holy Week

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 383 road traffic accidents during the observance of Holy Week.

In its report, the agency said the accidents, which include the death of five motorcycle riders, were recorded from April 13 to 19 at 50 DOH reporting sites.

Accidents involving motorcycles accounted for most of the cases, with 296 reports.

The DOH said 324 of the cases involved motorists or passengers who did not use safety accessories.

At least 31 of the cases involved alcohol-impaired drivers.

Earlier, the DOH reported that the country is regressing from the target of reducing road crash fatalities to four per 100,000.

The current road crash fatality rate in the country is 11 per 100,000.

Following this, the DOH is reminding motorcycle riders to always use helmets, avoid drinking liquor, follow speed limits and refrain from using a cell phone while driving.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) recorded 31 drowning incidents nationwide during this year’s Holy Week observance, or 28 percent lower than the 43 cases recorded last year.

Col. Randulf Tuano, PNP public information office chief, said the nationwide observance of Semana Santa was “generally peaceful,” attributing the improved safety record to heightened deployment and multi-agency coordination.

“Despite our continuous reminders, we still recorded 31 drowning incidents,” Tuano said in a radio interview over dzBB. “While that number is unfortunate, it is still 28 percent lower than the 43 drowning cases we saw during last year’s Holy Week.”

Tuano said the PNP coordinated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard and local government units to ensure public safety during this year’s Lenten observance.