ILOILO — Motorcycles emerged as the deadliest factor in Western Visayas’ road safety problem, accounting for nearly 70 percent of all fatal crashes in 2025, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed.
The region recorded 461 road traffic deaths last year.
Based on death certificates submitted by local Rural Health Units, 388 of the fatalities were male and 73 were female.
While the 2025 figure reflects a 33.67 percent decrease from the 695 deaths recorded in 2024, authorities cautioned that the numbers still represent hundreds of preventable deaths and demand urgent, sustained intervention.
A breakdown showed Iloilo City with the highest number of fatalities at 144, followed by Iloilo Province with 131 deaths.
Antique logged 84; Capiz recorded 55; Aklan had 30; and Guimaras reported 17 fatalities.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6 identified driving without a valid license as one of the most common violations, alongside unregistered vehicles, seatbelt violations, and failure to wear motorcycle helmets — infractions that continue to fuel deadly crashes.
Authorities recorded 21,946 violations of the Land Transportation and Traffic Code; 9,861 seatbelt citations; and 4,296 motorcycle helmet violations.
The LTO-6 also issued 356 Show Cause Orders, recommending the suspension, revocation, or disqualification of several drivers’ licenses.
Atty. Gaudioso Geduspan, thee LTO-6 director, said motorcycles remain at the center of the region’s road safety problem.
“Motorcycles remain at the heart of the crisis. Around 70 percent of all road deaths in the region involved motorcycles, with non-wearing of helmets and head injuries identified as the leading causes of fatality. Police investigations further pointed to human error — distraction, fatigue, and intoxication — as the root cause in 85 percent of fatal crashes,” Geduspan stressed.
Geduspan said enforcement operations will be sustained following a reorientation of traffic enforcers, emphasizing that the campaign aligns with the directive of LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus V. Lacanilao.
“This momentum will not stop,” Geduspan said, stressing that continuous enforcement is central to improving road safety in Western Visayas.
Authorities reiterated calls for stricter compliance with traffic laws, better licensing discipline, and stronger community cooperation, warning that without behavioral change and consistent enforcement, the region risks repeating the same cycle of avoidable road deaths year after year./PN
