• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Road crashes in Negros Occidental last year, dropped by 25 percent, compared to 2023, according to a report of the PNP Provincial Office.
From 1,216 incidents in 2023, road mishaps dropped to 906 last year, according to a report of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
On the contrary, vehicular crashes in highly urbanized Bacolod City increased by 24.4 percent, rising from 287 incidents in 2023 to 357 last year.
The 2024 data included 22 cases of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, 95 cases involving physical injury, and 240 cases involving damage to property.
The Bacolod City Police Office attributed most incidents to human error, such as lack of foresight, or driving under the influence of alcohol.
On the other hand, Col. Rainerio De Chavez, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, attributed the reduced number of road crashes in the province, to their intensified information campaign and aggressive law enforcement operations.
P/Capt. Judesses Catalogo, NOCPPO Public Information Officer, expressed the same position on the significance of their information campaign on anti-drunk driving in avoiding road crashes.*
