PRESS RELEASE
July 8, 2008
Office of Caloocan Ctiy Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri
Ref. Public Information Office
Telefax 3244644

“Your helmet can save your life!”

This is the “motorcycle safety first” policy being pushed by the local government of Caloocan with its thrust of promoting road and traffic safety as mandated by Ordinance 0391 or the city’s Traffic Code.

According to Caloocan City Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri, since the city government intensified its campaign on motorcycle safety, at least 180 violators have been apprehended during the first six months of the year by the Reformed Department of Public Safety and Traffic Management for not wearing a crash helmet.

Echiverri maintained motorcycle riders are usually more vulnerable to accidents since they are more exposed and do not have the protection given by the rigid chassis of an enclosed vehicle.

The mayor added that being fined P500 for not wearing a crash helmet could be costly and even harsh to a violator, but this is still a small price to pay in order to save one’s or a loved one’s life during an accident.

“It is the our duty to encourage the wearing of motorcycle safety helmets in order to prevent more serious injuries from occurring when there is a vehicular accident, more especially since Caloocan is now regarded as the motorcycle capital of the country.” Echiverri emphasized.

He said the RDPSTM has also been strictly monitoring riders violating the mandatory passenger capacity of motorcycles and tricycles plying the city streets.

Meanwhile, from January to December last year, the Traffic Operations Center (TOC) of the MMDA reported that motorcycles have the highest fatality accident rate of 33.60 percent or around 122 motorcycles involved in road accidents in Metro Manila.