“There is no quick fix but societies need to optimize technology to lessen accidents on the road,” Representative Paul R. Daza (1st District, Northern Samar) shared recently as he filed HB 11293, An Act Mandating Vehicle Safety Features Such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC) For Passenger Cars. and Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) for Motorcycles.
Data reveal that transportation-related deaths are increasing and are now the 12th top Filipino causes of death as of 2022, compared with 15th overall in 2021 (PSA). Comparing road crashes in a 10-year period, data show that death from accidents affected 7,938 Filipinos in 2011 increasing to 11,487 Filipinos (31 persons/day) in 2022, reflecting a 45% increase (yearly 3%).
“Nakakabahala na po itong mga ganitong statistics. There is also an increasing number of motorcycle-related road crashes. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported that a total of 31,186 motorcycle-related road crashes took place in 2023, swelling from the 26,599 crashes recorded in 2022,” the solon added.
In a study conducted using the Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire Logistic regression (Seva, 2017), it was identified that the most common reason for motorcycle crashes is recklessness in driving.1 Interestingly, only 9% of the participants identify drunk driving as a reason for their accidents (Seva, 2017).[1] The same study described drivers in Metro Manila as “generally undisciplined.”
“Based also on the results, participants who underestimated the speed of oncoming vehicles when overtaking have higher chances of suffering serious injury. Dapat talagang i-correct yung behavior. That’s the first step. However, there is no guaranteed mechanism to stop these negative behaviors. The next best thing is to maintain vehicle stability on changing road surface conditions, and we can do that by leveraging technology such as the ABS and ESC. Of course, the education component is also critical,” Rep Daza stressed.
ABS and ESC systems enhance control and stability, mitigate falls and crashes, and increase rider confidence. ABS helps in preventing the wheels from locking up during an episode of hard braking on different road surfaces and conditions, which is the natural or intuitive reaction of a rider during a potential accident such as a collision. In the case of light vehicles and passenger cars, an ESC also supports the prevention of under- and over-steering to keep stability on four wheels in curves thereby enhancing overall safety.
ABS technology significantly improves motorcycle safety by maintaining stability during hard braking situations (Padway, 2024).2 The US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimated that motorcycles equipped with ABS have a 31% lower chance of fatal crashes, based on direct comparison between the same models of motorcycle, that is, one with optional ABS and one without. ESC is now mandatory in several countries, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, and the USA, with Argentina soon to follow.
“Of course, may cost consideration ‘yan. But we cannot sacrifice human life, not for any amount of money. What the government should do is work with the private sector—including manufacturers, dealers, and financing groups—for example, the pricing should ensure affordability. Meron din pong proposed incentives sa early-adopters,” the solon highlighted.
The bill, if enacted, will be effective beginning January 2027. If manufacturers and dealers will comply earlier than that, they can get tax incentives and for buyers, they could avail of 40% discount in LTO registration.
“Of course, we consider that so many of our kababayans use motorbikes. The bill will still go through a thorough review at the committee level so I encourage all stakeholders—including our riders and drivers—to send their feedback so we can still improve the bill. The more comments and suggestions, the better,” Rep Daza added.