In 2019, there's an average of about 86 motorcycle-related accidents recorded daily in Metro Manila, according to the MMDA. That means, on average, about 4 motorcycle-related accidents occur every hour. Again, this is in Metro Manila only. If we factor in the whole country, that number will definitely become bigger.
That said, it is easy for people to come to the conclusion that riding motorcycles is a dangerous activity. After all, we are exposed to the elements and there are no crumple zones like in cars that can protect us in the event of a crash.
A recent US study suggests that riding motorcycles is still safe and is less likely to land you in a hospital bed than other forms of leisure activities.
According to the US National Trauma Data Bank, motorcycle-related injuries only accounted for 0.14 out of 1000 hours of riding, while horseback riding accounts for 0.49 injuries out of 1000 hours of riding horses.
37% of those injuries from riding horses require trauma care in the chest and upper back area. Head injuries related to horseback riding account for 20%. 25% of those injuries require intensive care and 1 in every 10 head injuries would require surgery.
Though the data is enlightening, it is safe to say that road conditions and even driver education is very different in the US than that in the Philippines. Here, there are road repairs (like open ditches or manholes) that are left unattended or lack the proper early warning devices. Due to years of red tape in the LTO, there are a lot of drivers on the road that have zero knowledge about traffic rules and have zero courtesy to other road users.
Let’s just hope that the LTO’s mandatory driver/rider training will help put driving safety at the top of mind in more drivers and riders on our roads. This will contribute in making our streets safer for motorcyclists.
