PHILIPPINE National Police Highway Patrol Group director Chief Supt. Leonardo A. Espina yesterday reiterated its call for the strict implementation of the so-called “Four Es” or Elements of Traffic Management in the country in the wake of unabated deadly road accidents mostly blamed on driver’s error and mechanical failure.

Latest to take place in the country was a head-on collision between two trucks along the national highway in Barangay Palcan, Polomoloc, South Cotabato, 5:30 p.m. last Friday that killed the drivers of the two vehicles and injured 13 of their passengers.

An investigation showed that an Isuzu Elf dropside with plate no. YAB-365 being driven by Rene Escoltor of Tupi, South Cotabato was avoiding the stagnant water in the highway when it collided with the Forward truck (MVT-957) being driven by Nestor Lambayan of Tacurong, South Cotabato.

Both drivers died on the spot while 13 of their passengers were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. An initial investigation showed that Escoltor and his passengers were on their way to Tupi from General Santos City when they met the traffic accident.

A series of  fatal road crashes have occurred in Metro Manila and the provinces since last January 1 leaving more than a dozen people dead and wounded. The most tragic of them took place in Taytay, Rizal, where wayward truck slammed into several vehicles and hit several innocent bystanders before slamming into a police precinct. The other day, a speeding truck hit the rear of a pick-up along the STAR tollway in Malvar, Batangas killing three of the pick-up’s passengers, one of them a nun and the other a young boy.

Acting on instruction of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III who has expressed concern over frequent deadly road accidents happening in the country, Espina has proposed more adjustments in the strict implementation by all concerned government agencies of the ‘Four Es’ to prevent tragic death of innocent people mostly in the streets.

PNP-HPG records show that the Top 10 causes of road accidents in the country are driver’s error, driving under the influence of liquor/drugs, vehicle mechanical defect, over-speeding, using cell phone while driving, road repair, hit-and-run, illegal overtaking, illegal turning and overloading.

From January to November 2011, the PNP-HPG recorded a total of 14,795 road accidents that killed 1,399 persons and injured nearly 5,700 others.

The accidents took place along national roads, expressways and city, municipal, provincial and barangays  roads. Another 180 accidents took place at the STAR tollway alone during the same period.

Espina has recommended the adoption of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2005-2010 conceptualized to help all concerned agencies to reduce road-related accidents and save people’s lives, lessen casualties and injuries and protect people’s properties. 

He also proposed to PNP chief Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome several measures aimed at further improving the country’s road safety programs, first and foremost of which is by studying high-risk roads and how deadly accidents can be prevented from occurring regularly in these areas