Oplan Sita may have cut 

deaths by MC, into half 

TAGBILARAN CITY, April 28 (PIA)—The figure might be insignificant, but because one death is one too many, the police crackdown on motorcycle rider’s safety paid off, if data presented at the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) were to be taken. 

A major PPOC concern; motorcycle accidents in Bohol has been alarming and the blatant disregard for rider’s safety in the supposedly mandatory use of protective motorcycle helmets got traffic authorities thinking of clamping down on its use. 

By Oplan Sita, Bohol police, by order of the provincial director and as a cascading implementation of national mandates, police stations rendered roadside checkpoints: flagging down motorists unprotected by helmets, checking drivers’ licenses, motorcycle registrations and checking on the roadworthiness of these vehicles. 

And true enough, motorcycle accidents have been dented, those unharmed because they were forced to ride protected by helmets did not have significant figures but those injured lessened and those who died was halved. 

Police data collected and collated by authorities and statisticians at Bohol Police Office Camp Francisco Dagohoy showed that in April, there were reported 114 motorcycle accidents. 

Although a noted decrease from the 190 motorcycle accidents recorded in March, or some 40% decrease, some 76% or 145 of those people who were involved in these accidents in March did get injured in March as against 73 injuries from accidents in April. 

In that same month when the mandatory helmet use was strictly implemented and monitored, only 34 or a good 17% were unharmed, according to the report presented at the PPOC. 

Of the 190 accidents then in March, 11, majority of those who were presumably not wearing protective helmets died. 

By April however, Camp Dagohoy noted a total of 114 motorcycle accidents, 73 were injured, 36 were unharmed and five were unlucky they died. 

The figures showed the drastic decrease of 40% in accidents, 50% decrease in injuries, and only 54.5% reduction in deaths. 

In the implementation of Oplan Sita, from January to April, Bohol police from town and city stations checked on 134,406 motorcycles, issued 19,096 citation tickets and impounded 1,761 of these motorcycles for violations. 

Camp Dagohoy clarified that the impounding of motor vehicles would only happen if the motorcycle is unregistered, the driver had no license, the driver is under the influence of liquor, with loud improvised mufflers or there were improvisations in the motorcycle rendering it not safe on the roads. 

To date, some 86 impounded motorcycles have been unclaimed, Camp Dagohoy reported. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Routine checkpoints like this have reduced the number of accidents, injuries and even death after the police implemented a no-nonsense drive to get people wearing helmets. (Rahc/PIA-7/Bohol/Boholmotorcycles.com)