BY NATHANIELA P. LODOVICE AND ARAVELLA A. QUIMBO, DSSC Interns
THE NUMBER of road incidents in Davao City rose by 31.3% in the first seven months of the year against last year’s data, the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) reported.
During the iSpeak forum on Thursday, July 30, TEU chief Lt Col Christian Antonio D. Garcia revealed that there were 2,598 road crash incidents from January to July 2025, which already surpassed the 1,998 cases recorded in 2024.
So far, 4,864 vehicles have been involved in these crashes, a 25% increase compared to last year. Most of these were private vehicles (37%), followed by motorcycles (21%), and trucks (10%).
Also, 83% involved property damage, 14% resulted in minor injuries, 2% caused serious injuries, and about 1% were fatal.
Garcia explained that human error accounts for 96% of the accidents. This includes drivers using phones while driving, being distracted or tired, or simply not following traffic rules. Vehicle problems and road defects each made up only 2% of the causes.
He also raised concerns about areas like the C.P. Garcia Highway and MacArthur Highway, which some drivers treat as a racetrack when no enforcers are present.
“The problem is not always the road. Most of the time, it’s the driver’s lack of discipline,” Garcia said.
The most accident-prone roads include Carlos P. Garcia Highway (19%), MacArthur Highway (7%), Cabantian (4%), Panacan (4%), and Ma-a Road (4%).
Most accidents occurred between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., while the safest times were between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Garcia mentioned ongoing efforts to improve road safety, such as coordinating with the Land Transportation Office to train more officers on proper traffic enforcement and laws.
“We are attending seminars to strengthen our capability, especially since some of us came from other units like CIDG,” he shared.
He reminded all motorists to follow traffic rules, drive responsibly, and stay alert to prevent more accidents in the city.
