IN THE natural order of things, no parent is supposed to bury a child. Our father was 78 when we lost him to emphysema in 2002; while our mother was one day short of turning 94 when we lost her in 2019. In those moments of sadness, we had to comfort ourselves with the thought that they had lived a full life and that we were able to give them the life that they deserved. While we have learned to deal and live with the pain, I have to admit that we continue to grieve every now and then.
Can you imagine the pain that parents have to endure when they lose a child? It is a type of pain so pervading and heart wrenching that many parents begin to ask many questions, confront their faith, blame themselves and even consider themselves as failures. When the loss is caused by a preventable vehicular accident, the pain become even more unbearable as it comes with a combination of helplessness and remorse.
For parents who lose their child to a vehicular accident, the pain becomes existential as it is first and foremost, emotional. For the rest of their lives, they continue to confront themselves with questions that lead to more questions instead of concrete answers that could at least lighten the burden in their hearts. What if their child was never allowed to drive? What if they were a lot stricter with the use of the available vehicles in their household? What if a curfew was enforced more strictly in their home? What if they just locked all the doors and the gates on the fateful night? What if they had reminded them of the safe driving precautions more than they have already done? The series of what if’s reverberate in their minds, with no clear answer in sight.
It does not come as a surprise that road traffic deaths are increasing in the Philippines today. According to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the road traffic deaths increased by 39% from 7,938 deaths in 2011 to 11,096 deaths in 2021. Among Filipinos age 15-29 years old, road traffic injuries remain the leading cause of death. While the number of deaths dropped to a total of 8,746 in 2020 due to the lockdowns, the number increased again in 2021 to 11,096, when restrictions were lifted around the country.
I would like to believe that no parent has ever failed to teach their children of the importance of safety. The reminders and warnings are constant talking points not only at home but even in schools. That is why parenting nowadays has become a very challenging task especially when growing teens begin to feel a wrong sense of invulnerability. They become overly dauntless, thinking they can handle any risk and accidents will only happen to others, and never to them.
The top three causes of road traffic accidents are drunk driving, speeding and distracted driving particularly with mobile phones. There are also two road safety laws in the country that are already in place – Republic Act 10913 or the Anti-Distracted Driving Act, and Republic Act 10586, the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act. Although the rules and penalties as stipulated in these two laws are already clear, the enforcement remains inconsistent.
Let’s face it, many of the road accidents are oftentimes a manifestation of a failed and broken system. The number of law enforcement officers is dwarfed by the constantly growing number of violators. Road safety in the country especially in the municipal context is a reactive rather than a proactive priority. When unfortunate accidents happen, enforcement of existing laws becomes stricter, at least for week, and at most for two weeks. In less than a month, the death of a promising life becomes a mere statistic again.
Just as parents continue to do their part, the government should never stop from doing its part as well – stricter, stronger and more consistent enforcement of existing laws, harsher penalties for violators, and continuous education for young drivers especially in schools complimented by unrelenting public education campaigns. This may sound as a cliché; but it is only when we put our act together purposely that we can truly provide safer roads for everyone.
