In a significant improvement for road safety, the province of Negros Occidental reported a 25% decrease in vehicular accidents in 2024, according to police data released on Tuesday. The number of incidents fell to 906 from 1,216 the previous year. Colonel Rainerio De Chavez, the provincial police director, credited the decline to stricter enforcement of traffic laws and enhanced public awareness campaigns on road safety. Further analysis of the data revealed a 29% reduction in accidents causing physical injuries, dropping from 517 in 2023 to 366 in 2024. Similarly, incidents leading to property damage saw a 28% decrease, with 393 cases in 2024 compared to 552 in the prior year. However, the number of accidents resulting in homicide remained unchanged at 147 for both years. Contrarily, Bacolod City experienced a rise in road accidents by 23.53% in 2024, with 357 incidents reported, up from 289 in 2023.
