Rosales sets sights on drunk drivers

MANILA, Philippines - National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) Director Roberto Rosales directed yesterday Metro Manila’s five police district directors to clamp down on drunk drivers as part of the government’s road safety campaign.

Police officers patrolling the streets will “look out for drunk drivers, particularly in the red light districts and gimmick areas, wherein drunk driving and use of prohibited drugs were found to be among the Top 10 causes of road accidents in the Philippines,” Rosales said.

Rosales, who was among the guests at the recent media launch of the government’s road safety campaign, formally requested Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando, and Land Transportation Office chairman Arturo Lomibao that the NCRPO be provided with “breathalyzers,” devices that determine a person’s blood alcohol content from a breath sample.

Based on data from the Traffic Management Group, the top 10 causes of road accidents are: driver’s error; driving under the influence of liquor or prohibited drugs; mechanical defect; over-speeding; using a cell phone while driving; road defect repair; hit and run; bad overtaking; bad turning; and overloading. – Non Alquitran