TIU (Photo via MyTV Cebu)
CEBU CITY – More than 11,000 road crashes resulting in numerous deaths were recorded in Central Visayas from January to October this year.
The Highway Patrol Group-Central Visayas (HPG-7) reported that 11,313 road accidents were recorded in the first 10 months of the year with 240 fatalities.
The crashes were most caused by reckless driving, said HPG-7 chief Police Lt. Col. Wildemar Tiu.
“Many of these incidents involve over speeding, reckless overtaking, and drivers who continue to use their mobile phones on the road,” Tiu said during MyTV Cebu’s Openline News Media Forum on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
The 10-month figure showed that 4,975 of the accidents happened during the day while a significantly higher 6,338 occurred at night.
Tiu said to curb incidents of road crashers, stronger enforcement and tighter coordination with local government units are needed.
Tiu added that over speeding and distracted driving, including mobile phone use, are the most common road violations.
He reminded drivers to always give way to pedestrians.
“Pedestrian safety must be taken more seriously. Crossing lanes is not optional,” he said.