Road crashes main cause of holiday injuries in General Santos City

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Road crashes, not firecracker injuries, are the main public safety concern of authorities here during the Christmas season.

From December 1 to 26, there were already 126 incidents of vehicular mishaps that left two persons dead and 63 others injured, records of the General Santos Traffic Management Unit (TMU) show.

These accidents were caused by drunk drivers, drivers falling asleep at the wheel, and just simple reckless driving, TMU head Police Lieutenant Colonel Dominador Palgan told Brigada News FM-Gensan during an interview on Tuesday, December 28.

Most of the road crashes involved motorcycles, Palgan said.

He did not give figures of traffic accidents during the 2020 holiday season.

But in 2019, the city traffic management unit recorded seven fatalities and 50 road crashes from December 18 to December 30, a Philippine News Agency report said. Most of these incidents also involved motorcycles.

Palgan said they expect the number to go higher because of family get-togethers, parties, and celebrations, and drivers who insist on taking the wheel even when intoxicated.

City police chief Colonel Gilberto Tuzon said they have not received any report of firecracker injuries since the start of the suletide Season. 

Since Christmas eve, Tuzon said cops have been mostly responding to incidents of vehicular crashes.

Tuzon said the city listed “zero case” of firecracker-related injuries and firing of guns as residents celebrated Christmas. He said they have also stepped up their patrols and were able to apprehend vendors who were selling illegal firecrackers. – Rappler.com

Rommel Rebollido is a Mindanao-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.