LTO Initiates Free TDC in P'sinan

 TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VEHICULAR DEATHS, ACCIDENTS

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) regional office initiated a theoretical driving course (TDC) to two towns in Pangasinan to significantly reduce road accidents and safer driving environment.

Basista Mayor J.R Resuello (3rd from left, photo) poses for posterity with officials of the Land Transportation Office in his town.  The staff of the LTO initiated a theoretical driving course (TDC) at the landlocked municipality.

The two-day course held simultaneously in the Municipality of Basista and Brgy. Kita Kita, Balungao, Pangasinan benefitted a total of 714 aspiring drivers. The free TDC educated participants with essential knowledge and skills to navigate the roads safely. It covered topics like traffic rules and regulations, defensive driving techniques, and road courtesy.

Department of Transportation (DoTr) Secretary Jaime J. Bautista and Land Transportation Office Chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza introduced this program in the wake of the increase of vehicular deaths and injuries in the country.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report in 2021 showed an increasing trend of road traffic deaths in the past decade—from 7,938 fatalities in 2011 to 11,096 deaths—for a 39-percent increase. PSA said that at least 84 percent of road traffic deaths were among males, while road traffic injuries were a major cause of mortality for children, with motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists among those considered vulnerable road users. On an economic scale, it said that road traffic injuries are estimated to cost about 2.6 percent of the country’s GDP.

The Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System (MMARAS) said that in 2022, a total of 71,891 road crashes occurred in Metro Manila that year for an average of 197 road crashes daily.

The free TDC conducted early this month in Pangasinan was under the leadership of Regional Director Glorioso Daniel Z. Martinez and Assistant Regional Director Engr. Eric C. Suriben.