96,000 kids killed in road mishaps a year

Around 96,000 Filipino children are injured or killed every year because of road-related accidents, a non-government organization said yesterday.

Citing records from the Asian Development Bank and the National Center for Traffic Safety, Safe Kids Philippines said these children were pedestrians when they met with accidents.

"In general, our roads are not safe for children," Safe Kids Philippines president Dr. Rafael Consunji said.

This refers to kids below 14 years old.

Based in Washington DC, Safe Kids has partnered with FedEx to prevent unintentional injury to children. They jointly launched the "Walk this Way Program" to teach children about "safe pedestrian behavior."

Safe Kids observed that crosswalks in many roads in the country are not painted, while the sidewalk is obstructed by vendors, garbage, parked vehicles and even dogs.

The group conducted a survey on injuries brought to the emergency rooms of three hospitals in the cities of Parañaque, Pasay and Olongapo.

The results were presented yesterday in conjunction with the "2nd National Safe Kids Week."

The survey showed that road traffic-related injuries (RTIs) are the leading cause of injuries among children (30 percent), followed by mauling or assault (28 percent), falls (20 percent) and lacerations (14 percent).

A majority of the vehicular accidents involved bicycles, followed by tricycles and motorcycles.

Consunji added that only 28 percent of all injuries are "intentional in nature, with the remainder being unintentional in etiology or cause."

"This latest data is very significant because it demonstrates that majority of child injuries are unintentional, and therefore easily preventable.

"With RTIs being the leading cause of injury, it is important that we have programs that address road safety issues for children," he said.

But to achieve this, three E’s must be strictly observed, he added: re-engineering of roads, education of children and adults about pedestrian safety and road courtesy, and enforcement of traffic rules.

To ensure the safety of children, they should not be allowed to walk alone on or near roads, Consunji said. — Sheila Crisostomo