The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 1,091 road crash incidents during the observance of Holy Week this year.
The agency said the data were logged from March 29 to April 2, or from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday, across 161 hospitals nationwide.
In a statement, the DOH said the figure is significantly higher compared to the 437 road crash incidents recorded during the same period last year.
However, the agency clarified that the increase may be attributed to the higher number of hospitals included in this year’s reporting.
Based on DOH data, the majority of injuries consisted of abrasions, open wounds, lacerations, contusions, fractures, and avulsions.
A large number of road crash victims were not using safety gear (944 cases). This was followed by cases involving motorcyclists (783), intoxicated individuals (118), and pedestrians.
The DOH also noted that 783, or 72 percent, of all road crash incidents involved motorcycles.
Central Luzon recorded the highest number of road crash injuries with 196 cases, followed by the Davao Region with 161 and the Ilocos Region with 159.
The DOH urged motorists to stay safe on the road by wearing proper safety gear, avoiding alcohol consumption, and following traffic rules.
