COMMENTARY: What causes accidents at NLEX

May 10 marked the beginning of the United Nations Global Road Safety Week. This year's theme is #SaveKidsLives to highlight the growing number of children who become victims of road accidents.
Every day, some 190,000 vehicles use the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). Every day, an average of four accidents happen in the 84-kilometer highway.

 

“Na-cut ako”

 

“Na cut ako boss,” is the usual answer when a driver is asked why he figured in an accident.

 

It means another vehicle swerved into his lane, causing him to lose control. This is the usual claim of drivers who get into what we call “self accident.”

 

Investigators begin to suspect this claim when there is a glaring lack of tire skid marks on the pavement. The skid marks would support the allegation that another vehicle cut into his lane.

 

Accident investigators then begin to check if the real cause is “nakatulog” (driver fell asleep).

 

Here's why: A driver usually instinctively steps on the brake in the face of an imminent accident. When a driver is about to fall asleep or has fallen asleep, there is barely time to do this.

Falling asleep while driving is one of the major causes of deaths on the road.
 

The table below is taken from NLEX 's record of top causes of accidents.

 

The disturbing fact about this table is that these accidents happen in one of the country's finest roads, where traffic laws are strictly enforced.
 

The number of accidents in less maintained roads where traffic enforcers and rule enforcement are scant or absent could be worse.

 

The much-publicized checklist, BLOWBAG (battery, lights, oil, water, brake, air and gas), is a good road safety campaign. However, neglect of the items in this list is only third among the leading causes of accident.

 

The main cause of accident is still the driver. Based on national statistics on the causes of road crashes, 60% to 70% are due to drivers’ error.

 

There is no cure for a sleepy driver but sleep. There is no cure for a lousy driver but proper driver’s training and education.

 

A driver that does not have these should never drive. Get more driving lesson and practice, get enough sleep, then try again.

 

Insufficient braking distance is also a leading cause of accident with injury. In simple terms, it's when even flooring your brake pedal is not enough to save you from colliding with the car in front of you.

 

Curiously, this type of accident in expressways increases during holidays and long weekends.
 

The simple explanation is that when Metro Manila drivers go to the provinces, they still employ the tail-gating practice they do when driving in EDSA and other congested roads in the metropolis.

 

In high speed road situations such as that at NLEX, this is a mortal sin. A sudden stop or abrupt slowdown of one vehicle can cause multiple collision.

 

Philippine highways are getting better. Enforcement is slowly catching up. The question is, are our drivers getting better or do they have to lot of catching up to do?
 

A good record on road safety rests on these three items: Good road, good enforcement and good drivers. Obviously, there is still much to do when it comes to our drivers. This is the challenge we now have to face.