BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio City Police Office reported a total of 731 accidents involving vehicles and motorcycles from January to September this year here.
Lt. Col. Domingo Gambican, BCPO chief operations, said during the third quarter City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) meeting on Oct. 1 that an average of 81 road accidents per month transpired along city roads and streets in the Summer Capital.
He said these vehicular accidents decreased during the pandemic with the implementation of lockdowns limiting mobility and traffic.
Gambican said drivers became so used to driving without traffic that they are having a hard time adjusting with the usual bumper-to-bumper road conditions leading to vehicular accidents.
Out of the 731 vehicular accidents in nine months, 538 involved four-wheel vehicles while 203 involved motorcycles.
Data showed that out of the 731 total vehicular accidents, 232 transpired during the first quarter of the year while 273 during the second quarter and 226 during the third quarter.
Gambican said human error and mechanical defects of vehicles were the major causes of vehicular accidents. He reminded motorists to always check brakes, lights, oil, water, battery, air and gasoline/diesel before travelling to ensure safety on the road.
Alarmed with the number of vehicular accidents, Mayor Benjamin Magalong directed the BCPO to strengthen its information and education campaign on road safety using the Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) when deploying police personnel along accident-prone areas.
“I am ordering the Traffic Management Unit of BCPO to ensure that the number of vehicular accidents will not surpass 300 for the third and fourth quarter. Do something about it,” Magalong said.