To enhance road safety for motorcycle and three-wheeler riders, two prominent organizations have named former Interior Secretary and Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos Jr. as their new ‘Ambassador for Road Safety.’
The Motorcycle Philippines Federation, alongside the Motorcycle Road Safety Warriors, acknowledged Abalos, a current senatorial candidate for the administration, for his significant contributions to public service and dedication to traffic management.
In a joint statement, the groups expressed, “With his longstanding advocacy for road safety, we believe Benhur Abalos is the ideal person to support the welfare of motorcycle and three-wheel riders.” They are confident he will push for policies beneficial to riders nationwide.
Abalos emphasized the urgent necessity for more robust road safety initiatives, referencing the growing number of motorcycle-related accidents. “In 2022, a report from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s Road Safety Unit recorded at least 26,599 motorcycle accidents. This figure increased by 17.3% to 31,200 in 2023, averaging 78 daily motorcycle accidents in Metro Manila,” he stated.
While motorcycles were involved in 22% of road accidents in 2023, incidents involving cars accounted for 54% of the total. The MMDA reported over 86,000 vehicular accidents in Metro Manila that year.
Statistics from the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group indicated there were 31,258 road accidents nationwide in 2024, with 15,690 involving motorcycles and 4,224 linked to tricycles.
Abalos advocated for educational reforms to instill road safety awareness, proposing road safety courses for senior high school students to prepare for their driver’s license applications. He also recommended establishing additional motorcycle training centers across the country through partnerships with motorcycle dealers.