Private-Public Coalition “Ingat Pilipinas” Launched for Road Safety

Road Safety a Priority with 80% of Road Accidents Caused by Human Error

Over the past months, Statistics from the PNP-Highway Patrol Group revealed that there were over 20,008 road accidents reported in 2009—this means that there are around 50 road accidents that occur in the Philippines on a daily basis. As we speak, 2 vehicles have probably gotten into an accident during the past hour.

With 78% of total daily person trips depending on buses, jeepneys taxis, tricycles, trains and padyaks, it’s no exaggeration to say that a large portion of the Philippines would literally stop if public transport were to halt their operations.

And in the same way that millions of people rely on public transport to bring them to school, work or to their favorite pasyalan, these very same people entrust their very lives to the manongs, kuyas and bossing drivers that control these modes of transport.

“We may think nothing of riding public utility vehicles to work or to school, but it’s actually an act of trust,” says Eros Zuniga, National President of Safety Organization of the Philippines Inc. (SOPI). “It’s trusting the drivers to get us to our destinations on time; it’s trusting them to have checked and fine-tuned their vehicles; it’s trusting them to follow road signs – it’s trusting them with our lives.”

And this element of trust takes on more importance in light of DOTC data, which shows that that 80% of road accidents in the country are caused by human error.


Taking the wrong turn with human error
Human error is defined as the imbalance between what the situation requires, what the situation intends and what a person does.

Human error happens when people:
•    Do the wrong thing for a given situation (i.e., violating traffic rules)
•    Fail to do anything when action is required (i.e., forgetting to have a spare tire)
•    Plan to do the right thing but with the wrong outcome (i.e., making an accidental wrong turn)  

Click here to learn more about human error and what drivers can do to be safer on the road.

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Read on to learn more about human error and what drivers can do to be safer on the road.

 

Human error wouldn’t matter that much if all it caused were traffic roadblocks in EDSA, but as we all know, the cost of human error is much more than this. Based on DOTC estimates, road accidents may cost the Philippines around Php 235 billion or a 2.8 percent share in the country’s GDP—millions that could have otherwise gone to building schools, hospitals, or other, similarly crucial government projects. And that’s just the economic cost. The Asian Development Bank adds to this by saying that a fatal accident can lead to “the loss of productive life of the victim; pain, grief and suffering of loved ones.”

With the realization of how the element of human error played a big role in the day-to-day lives of Filipinos, the public-private coalition Ingat Pilipinas was formed. Composed of the PNP-HPG (Highway Patrol Group), MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority), the Department of Labor and Employment and its sub-agencies the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), from the public sector and SOPI (Safety Organization of the Philippines) and leading headache relief brand, Biogesic, from the private sector, Ingat Pilipinas is working to reinforce the values of safety consciousness and effectiveness among Filipinos and in the country as a whole.


Hari ng Kalsada, Hari ng Pag-Iingat
“If Venice has its gondolas; Japan its bullet trains, and the Far East its rickshaws, the Philippines has its jeepneys. They’re a public necessity as much as they are a cultural symbol,” notes MMDA Engr.  Emilio Llabor.

Recent research shows that of the overall motorized trips within Metro Manila, the busiest city in the Philippines in terms of public transport, 41% were taken on jeepneys. Meanwhile, 19% of trips were on tricycles, 13% on buses, and 5% on taxis. In absolute terms, jeepneys are the main mode of public transport with over 9 million linked trips on an average day.

A 2010 survey of the most popular modes of transport in Metro Manila revealed that the major factors that contribute to accidents can all be classified under human error.

• 64% of drivers identified vehicle malfunction traceable to neglect or “pagpapabaya sa sasakyan” as a reason for accidents;
• 44% cited overspeeding or “pagpapatakbo ng sasakyan ng mabilis na hindi alinsunod sa speed limit”;
• 23% mentioned overloading or “sadyang pagsobra sa pagsakay ng pasahero o kagamitan”; and
•  22% said breaking traffic rules or “hindi pagsunod sa batas trapiko” caused accidents.

 

Click here to learn more about human error and what drivers can do to be safer on the road.

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Read on to learn more about human error and what drivers can do to be safer on the road.

Meanwhile, there are also conditions that make driving more difficult and likewise lead to accidents. 85% of respondents agree that not feeling well or “masama ang pakiramdam” makes driving more challenging. When probed, our kings of the road identified headaches, fever, and body pain as the most common maladies when they experience what they describe as “masama ang pakiramdam.”

“A quick engine check or simply being more aware of the speed at which the vehicle was being operated could have given them a safer trip.”   

This lack of consciousness about safety is readily seen in how drivers perceive and treat “headaches.” 77% of those surveyed continued to drive even if they had a headache—this means that they continue driving even if they’re not at their optimal condition.

Perceptual misjudgments are instances when drivers fail to notice critical information, such as road signs or speed limits, because their mental resources are focused elsewhere. In this case, drivers get too distracted by their headaches (and the pain these bring) to focus on their driving.

“Practicing safety on the road can’t be overemphasized,” Col. Edwin Butacan of PNP – Highway Patrol Group. In the case of all public utility vehicle drivers, they’re not only responsible for their personal safety, but also for that of their passengers as well. For instance, an average jeep has around 20 passengers at any one time —and this translates into 20 different people putting their safety—and lives–in the hands of the driver.”


Basta Driver, Safety Lover
Ingat Pilipinas believes that at the heart of human error is a disregard for safety, which is why raising awareness, ensuring personal commitment, and rolling out programs on safety are integral pillars of the advocacy. “It’s a fact that 80 percent of accidents are caused by human error, but we shouldn’t forget that this also means that 80% of all accidents could have been, could be, and should be prevented. Kailangan lang talaga ng ibayong pag-iingat,” says Joey Romana of Biogesic.

With this, the first phase of Ingat Pilipinas will be focused on improving road safety in the public transportation sector.

 

Click here to learn more about human error and what drivers can do to be safer on the road.

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Read on to learn more about human error and what drivers can do to be safer on the road.

Working specifically with the PNP-Highway Patrol Group, Ingat Pilipinas will be distributing “Ingat Kits” – a packet that contains headache management tips and a safety first-aid kit—to PNP-HPG Patrollers. Meanwhile, together with SOPI, Ingat Pilipinas will be spearheading seminars about workplace safety. In the coming months, more projects will be undertaken by Ingat Pilipinas with coalition members specifically MMDA and DoLE.

Simultaneous with these projects, Ingat Pilipinas will also be rallying more organizations and individuals to join their cause for a safer and more effective Philippines. With this everyone is encouraged to sign up and be counted in the online portal of Ingat Pilipinas, http://www.ingatpilipinas.com.

With all these efforts, the proponents of Ingat Pilipinas are working to gather at least 1,000 public utility drivers and riders to commit to a safer and more effective Philippines during the Ingat Pledge event as a strong show of commitment to a safer and more effective Philippines.  

“Human error is inevitable, but if other people’s lives are on the line, there is no room for error,” says SOPI.  With a “safer and more effective Philippines” in mind, more private companies and government offices are expected to join the coalition.

“It’s time that we go beyond saying “Ingat,” it’s time we work together and actually do something to make our roads, workplaces, and eventually even the whole country itself, safer and more effective—starting with ourselves. Our decision to be safety-conscious can make a big difference,” say the coalition members of Ingat Pilipinas.

To find out which companies and individuals have taken the challenge for a safer and more effective Philippines, and if you want to be part of the Biggest Public Pledge event on November 27, Saturday, at SM Mall of Asia, log on to www.ingatpilipinas.com.


SOURCES:
1. Klima: Climate Change Center, “Land Transport Conditions Existing Modes (Public)"
2. Tsikot.com, “DoTC Justifies Move Increasing Traffic Fines"
3.    Human Error Analysis, “The Elusiveness of “Human Error”
4.    Discovery Health, “Headaches Don’t Have To Rule Your Life”
5.    Reliability Center Inc., “Root Cause Analysis-PROACT RCA Software Reliability Center, Inc.”
6.    World Bank, 2000, Study on Urban Transport Development: Final Report.
7.    Safety Agency for Healthcare (OHSAH), 2006.
8.    Metro Manila Jeepney Driver Research, 2010

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