Press Release
November 24, 2016

TEACH ROAD SAFETY IN CLASSROOMS, POE URGES

Sen. Grace Poe wants road safety integrated in the school curriculum in an effort to set this as a key health issue that is considered one of the leading causes of fatalities in the country.

Poe's proposal is contained in Senate Bill (SB) No. 1231 or the proposed Road Safety and Comprehensive Driver's Education Act which seeks the mandatory integration of basic road safety and comprehensive driver's education in the enhanced basic education curriculum to effectively reduce road casualties.

"Nais nating bigyang halaga ang buhay at maiwasan ang walang saysay na pagkalagas nito. Habang bata pa lamang, matututo na ang mga mag-aaral ukol sa basic road safety at driver's education," said Poe.

Under the measure, basic road safety shall be made part of the elementary curriculum. Comprehensive driver's education shall be made part of the junior and senior high school and higher education curricula.

In filing SB No. 1231, Poe said road accidents were the fourth leading cause of mortality in 2012 and the fifth highest cause of mortality from 2008 to 2013, accounting for 36,100 deaths for every 100,000 population. Also citing a 2005 study, Poe said that P3.5 million is lost per fatal road accident in terms of lost labor output, medical costs, funeral services, human and administration costs, while at least P734,867 is lost per serious road accident and P71,483 per minor accident.

Poe said lack of critical interventions could make road accidents the leading cause of deaths in the country by 2020, even surpassing diseases of the heart and vascular system and pneumonia.

Once enacted, the measure will direct the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Transportation, the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and Metro Manila Development Authority to formulate and implement a basic road safety and comprehensive driver's education subject for students in basic and higher education.

Poe earlier filed SB No. 162 or the proposed National Transportation Safety Board of 2016 that aims to create an independent and non-regulatory panel that will oversee and coordinate efforts among various agencies involved in transportation management.

The lady senator said teaching road safety and driver's education at an early stage could help alleviate traffic in that road discipline and courtesy among future drivers could be learned at the four corners of the classroom, as major areas in the country reels from worsening traffic conditions that brought the administration to seek traffic-related emergency powers.

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