MANILA, Philippines – Local government units (LGUs) can now set slower speed limits on local roads.

In a bid to promote road safety, LGUs to classify the use of their roads and now have the power to set speed limits that are lower than what’s prescribed by the law.

This is made possible through Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2018-001 between the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

In a press briefing on Wednesday, February 7, DOTr Assistant Secretary Mark de Leon said the JMC addresses the long-standing problem of speed limit enforcement in LGUs.

“What we are trying to address here, especially in local roads, are people who seem to enjoy speeding on the roads. Sometimes they drive faster than 30 to 40 kilometers per hour (kph). The chance of a fatal crash is higher in every percentile increase of your speed,” De Leon said in a mix of English and Filipino.

De Leon added that urban roads, such as in Metro Manila and other cities in the Philippines, have the same problems of speeding despite the problem of traffic congestion during rush hour.

Under Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, the maximum allowable speed on national roads for passenger cars and motorcycles are set at 80 kph. Trucks can only be driven at a maximum of 50 kph. (READ: What you need to know about speed limits in the Philippines)

For local roads, passenger cars and motorcycles can drive at 40 kph along provincial roads, 30 kph along municipal or city roads, and 20 kph along barangay roads and crowded streets.

Trucks can drive at 30 kph along provincial, municipal, and city roads while keeping a safe speed of 20 kph along barangay roads and crowded street.

The DOTr acknowledged that LGUs know their areas of jurisdiction better. Hence, the JMC addresses that and allows LGUs to craft their own ordinances with a speed limit lower than the maximum set by RA 4136. (DOCUMENTS: Speed limit ordinances in the Philippines)

“They know where their school and church zones are. With the JMC, we will have training programs with LGUs. There’s a template ordinance in the JMC as well that they can use to craft their ordinances so that it can be implemented more effectively,” he said in Filipino.

The JMC also mandates LGUs to install speed limit signs on the roads in their areas of jurisdiction. (MAPPED: Danger zones in Metro Manila roads)

It also requires city and municipal governments to be responsible in reporting road crash incidents to be included in the DOTr’s database, the “Data for Road Incident Visualization Evaluation and Reporting” system.

The JMC will also complement RA 10916, which mandates the installation of devices that would limit the maximum speed of PUVs, shuttle services, closed vans, cargo trailers, and tanker trucks, among others. 

In 2015, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded a total of 10,012 deaths from traffic crash incidents. (READ: IN NUMBERS: Road crash incidents in the Philippines)

A World Health Organization study found that speeding is one of the main problems that contribute to the risk of crash-related injuries in road traffic. WHO reported that every one kph increase in one’s driving speed can increase the risk of injury by at least 3% and the risk of death by 4% to 5%.

Globally, 1.25 million people around the world die due to road crashes. – Rappler.com