Pilipinas Shell boosts Action for Road Safety

Road accidents have become a leading cause of deaths not only in the Philippines but around the world. According to recently shared figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO), 1.3 million people are killed and another 50 million are injured in road crashes every year. The loss of life from road accidents has surpassed deaths from malaria and tuberculosis. If nothing is done by 2030, fatalities are projected to reach 2.4 million.

Pledging their support on promoting road safety education, Pilipinas Shell led the Decade of Action Road Safety launch events at the Quezon Memorial Circle, providing a driving simulator challenge which enabled motorcyclists and driver participants to check their driving habits.

Stressing the importance of this global declaration, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) assistant secretary Dante Lantin marked the role of the International Road Assessment Program (iRAP) initiated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). “It is a multi-surveyor vehicle that will go around the country to assess the road conditions,” he said. Equipped with the latest technology and geo-referencing software, the vehicle will measure the roughness of the roads. The challenge, Lantin, added, is to improve our road conditions to better help motorists and build a safe road community in the country. DOTC, DPWH have teamed up with other agencies such as Pilipinas Shell to tackle activities concerning the Decade of Action Road Safety declaration.

To further propel the advocacy, Pilipinas Shell has also taken the lead in the distribution of the Decade of Action Tag and leaflets on Road Safety for Motorcycles. The Road Safety tag is envisioned to become the symbol for road safety commitment. Yellow in colour and diamond-shaped, the Road Safety Tag is a reminder that road safety must be a daily, conscious effort for every individual.

Education for both motorists and pedestrians is key to road safety. Pilipinas Shell has been at the forefront of promoting road safety through education. Aside from the Road Safety Camps that the company regularly administers, Pilipinas Shell has also spearheaded the Road Safety for Children Workshops which has been operating for several years now and the Road Safety Flashcards project for school children, which was launched recently in 10 elementary schools in the City of Manila.

Commonwealth Avenue, the so-called “killer highway” in Quezon City, is known to be a high risk area for road accidents. In partnership with the Quezon City government, MMDA, Congressman Winnie Castelo, and AKO-Bicol Partylist, Pilipinas Shell has also taken the initiative to make Commonwealth Avenue safer, by installing place clear road safety signs along the highway’s stretch.

Whether transporting fuel to retail outlets, delivering equipment to construction projects or simply travelling to meetings, road transportation is integral to the way Pilipinas Shell does business. So, getting road safety right is a priority. This is integral to Shell’s 12 Life Saving Rules, which are reminders for all staff on the importance of safety.

Together with its partners, Pilipinas Shell continues to take action in finding ways to make our roads safer for all Filipinos.