30 kph speed limit proposal needs thorough study, says DOTr

MANILA — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) Department of Transportation (DOTr)  said Monday it would study suggestions for a 30 kilometer per hour speed limit in cities to curb road crashes.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said his agency would coordinate with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which is primarily responsible for managing traffic in the capital region.

“Kung ma-implement man ang speed limit, hindi na ‘yan mahirap i-enforce kasi meron na tayong NCAP (no-contact apprehension policy) sa mga national roads. At the same time, marami nang teknolohiya para malaman natin ang speeds ng ating mga sasakyan,” Dizon said.

“Pag-iisipan natin nang mabuti ‘yan,” he told DZMM.

Asked if the suggest 30 kph speed limit was too slow, Dizon said, “Titingnan natin. Medyo mabagal nga yun. Baka naman maapektuhan ang travel time naman ng ating mga pasahero.”

“Kailangan talaga pag-aralan natin ng mabuti itong mga ganitong klase ng proposal. Siyempre ibabalanse natin yung safety at yung convenience, yung bilis ng travel ng mga kababayan natin,” he said.

The Department of Health on Saturday backed the proposal, saying road crashes were the primary cause of death for Filipinos aged 5 to 29.

"Maraming bansa ang naglagay na niyan. Sa Amsterdam, walang helmet pero may speed limiter ang bawat motorisklo na tatakbo ng 30 kph,"  Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told reporters.

(Many countries have implemented this. In Amsterdam, they don't require helmets but they have speed limiters and motorcycles cannot go faster than 30 kph.)

He noted that accidents along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City decreased after a speed limit was implemented there.

"So alam natin na having speed limits will actually save lives," he said.

(So we know that having speed limits will actually save lives.)

According to Philippine Statistics Authority data, there were 13,101 fatalities from road crashes in 2023.

An average of 32 people die daily due to road crashes, five of those are children, data showed.

Road crashes are now the fifth top cause of death in the Philippines, behind cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and pneumonia, the DOH chief said.

“Maybe in another 10 years, it may be the top,” Herbosa said.

He added that around 70 percent of road crashes involve motorcycles, a popular form of transportation because of their lower cost and lack of public transportation options.

The DOH said the implementation of existing laws must also be reviewed, noting that country continues to have high deaths from road crashes despite policies on the use of helmets, seatbelts and car seats for children.

— With a report from Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News