Benhur Abalos with the officials of the Motorcycle Philippines Federation and the Motorcycle Road Safety Warriors during a forum on Saturday.
MANILA, Philippines 鈥撀營n a bid to promote safer roads for motorcycle and three-wheeled riders, two major groups have designated former Interior Secretary Benjamin 鈥淏enhur鈥� Abalos Jr., now a senatorial candidate, as the ambassador for road safety.
The Motorcycle Philippines Federation and the Motorcycle Road Safety Warriors officially recognized Abalos during a forum on Saturday, citing his extensive experience in public service and commitment to traffic management.
The MPG and MRSW officially recognize Abalos citing his extensive experience in public service and commitment to traffic management.
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鈥淎s a leader who has long advocated for road safety, we believe that Benhur Abalos is the right person to champion the welfare of motorcycle and three-wheeled riders,鈥� the groups said in a joint statement. 鈥淲e trust that he will work towards policies that protect and benefit riders across the country.鈥�
Abalos and the groups highlighted the pressing need for stronger road safety measures, pointing out the increasing number of motorcycle-related accidents.
Abalos is flanked by members of the Motorcycle Philippines Federation and Motorcycle Road Safety warriors.
鈥淚n 2022, the Road Safety Unit of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) recorded at least 26,599 motorcycle accidents. This figure surged by 17.3 percent or 31,200 in 2023, meaning that an average of 78 motorcycle accidents occur daily in Metro Manila alone,鈥� Abalos noted.
He further explained that while motorcycle crashes accounted for 22 percent of all road accidents in 2023, car-related incidents made up 54 percent of the total. In Metro Manila alone, the MMDA reported over 86,000 vehicular accidents last year.
Data from the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) revealed that there were 31,258 road accidents in 2024 nationwide, a total of 15,690 of them involved motorcycles and 4,224 tricycles.
Abalos emphasized the importance of education to promote road safety, saying there should be road safety subjects at least for senior high school student in preparation in preparation for their application for driver鈥檚 license. He also suggested the setting up of more motorcycle-riding training centers across the country in partnership with motorcycle dealers.
He said there should be consultations on how to improve road safety.
As a former MMDA chairman, Abalos had also initiated various measures to enhance road safety, including the establishment of emergency lay-by areas for motorcycle riders along EDSA. These designated areas provide shelter for riders during heavy rainfall, reducing the risk of accidents caused by stopping in unsafe locations.
鈥淲e understand the difficulties faced by motorcycle riders when they have to stop in the middle of the road during downpours. This exposes them to potential collisions. The emergency lay-by offers a safer alternative where they can wait until conditions improve,鈥� Abalos explained.
The lay-by area, located under the Quezon Avenue flyover, is marked with entrance and exit signs. There are other lay-by zones along Ortigas, Santolan, Kamuning, Kamias, C-5, and Commonwealth Ave. Abalos helped improve Metro Manila鈥檚 urban landscape by developing pocket gardens under flyovers to enhance air quality and beautify roadways.