Road crash injuries surge 82% vs last year as motorcycle cases dominate—DOH
By Jel Santos
(MB FILE PHOTO)
An 82-percent surge in road crash injuries was recorded over the holidays as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,113 cases nationwide, largely driven by motorcycle-related incidents.
Covering Dec. 21 to 5 a.m. of Jan. 2, the tally is 82 percent higher compared with the same period last year, the health department said.
Of the total, the DOH said motorcycle road crashes accounted for 787 cases.
“Seventy-one percent sa naitalang kaso ng road crash injuries ng DOH ay sangkot ang mga nagmomotorsiklo (Seventy-one percent of the road crash injury cases recorded by the DOH involved motorcyclists),” the agency stated.
The DOH data showed that alcohol consumption and the non-use of protective gear continued to drive road crash injuries, as 135 cases involved alcohol, while 965 cases were linked to the absence of helmets and seatbelts.
Meanwhile, the DOH said that separate road crash incidents claimed the lives of five motorcycle riders and two pedestrians.
“Sa magkakahiwalay na insidente, 5 ang patay sakay ng motorsiklo, habang dalawa ang pedestrian (In separate incidents, five motorcycle riders were killed, while two pedestrians also died),” it added.