BANGUED, Abra (PIA) – The Abra Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) is keen on implementing stricter regulations to curb the high number of road accidents in the province.
Abra Provincial Police Office Director PCol. Gibert Fati-ig reported during the Joint Provincial Councils Meeting that there were 173 recorded road accidents from January to December 2024, 13.82 percent higher compared to the 152 cases in 2023.
He shared that most vehicular accidents were caused by human error particularly over-speeding, distracted driving, drunkenness, and bad overtaking. Other factors also include mechanical defects, and slippery road conditions.
“We instructed our police stations in each municipality to implement the municipal ordinances and give citation tickets to the violators of ordinances on traffic rules,” he said.
Meanwhile, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Maria Cristina Cabrera disclosed that the Abra Provincial Hospital recorded more than 2,000 vehicular incidents in 2024.
“The Abra Provincial Hospital alone recorded a total of 2,822 vehicular accidents and ten percent of which is head trauma po so there is really an urgency for this matter,” Cabrera said.
Abra Acting Governor and PPOC chairperson Atty. Russell Bragas also pointed out the need to augment or deputize personnel to help road safety regulation bodies such as the Land Transportation Office and the Highway Patrol Group in implementing national and local traffic laws and rules.
The Public Safety Committee of the PPOC will be meeting to discuss further actions and recommendations to address the rising vehicular incidents in the province. (JJMT, PIA-CAR, Abra)
