More road safety training pushed for GenSan motorists

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Traffic authorities are pushing for more road safety awareness and education activities this year in a bid to curb the rising cases of road crashes in the city.

M/Sgt. Adolfo Yucamco, an investigator at the city police office’s traffic management unit (TMU), said Monday there is a need to educate more motor vehicle owners and drivers to help prevent road accidents.

Last year, Yucamco said they recorded a total of 2,061 road crashes in the city that resulted in a total of 41 deaths and 847 persons injured.

A TMU report said nearly half or at least 1,005 of the road crashes recorded from January to December 2019 involved motorcycles and tricycles, 925 cars or automobiles, and 131 trucks.  

“Most of these cases were due to human error and the lack of discipline among drivers,” Yucamo told reporters.

He said accidents may be avoided if drivers are properly educated and follow basic traffic regulations and practice safe or defensive driving.

Yucamo said another problem is drunk driving, which caused a number of deaths last year.

He admitted that they have not yet charged any motorist involving drunk driving or violation of Republic Act 10586, which also known as the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013.

TMU personnel are incapable of properly documenting such a violation,  as they lacked proper equipment like “breath analyzers,” he said.

He added that they are pushing for the acquisition of such equipment to improve their operations. (PNA)