HUMAN error is the cause of majority of deadly road accidents so far this year, the latest of which involved Pangasinan 2nd district Rep. Pol Bataoil and his daughter Angela who miraculously cheated death when their van was rammed by a wayward bus in Pangasinan last week.

Highway Patrol Group director Chief Supt. Leonardo A. Espina said their records showed that during the first three months of the year, a total of 3,929 road accidents took place nationwide, killing 332 people and injuring 1,590 others. The accidents also resulted in damage to 2,955 vehicles and other properties, both government and private.

Majority of the accidents or a total of 3,059, were attributed to human factor.  Of the total number, 757 accidents were due to bad overtaking, 534 due to bad turning, 587 due to over-speeding, 333 due to self-accident, 190 due to drunk driving, 185 due to the use of mobile phones while driving and 192, hit-and-run.

Other reasons were attributed to mechanical defect, poor road condition and  other reasons like animal crossing or calamity-related accidents.

Espina said they have recommended several measures to prevent daily road accidents attributed to human factor, including random drug and alcohol test for public utility drivers, a thorough practical driving test for those seeking driver’s license, and installations of proper road safety signs.

He said there is  a major need to subject those seeking driver’s license to undergo a thorough written and practical examination before they are given the license to drive amid findings that drivers, particularly those driving buses, jeeps and other means of public transportation, don’t understand some traffic signs.