The aftermath of a road crash rings beyond the streets. It plays out in hospital rooms, funeral homes, and at court, in a long silence that settles over grieving families. For those left behind, tragedy is compounded not only by the loss of a loved one, but also by the long, exhausting fight for accountability and reform.

Angela Español, who lost her father due to a speeding vehicle, lives this reality. His death, like so many others, was treated as a mere accident, quickly swept under processes that skirted accountability.

Recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority reveals a devastating reality: Land transport accidents accounted for 1.9% of all deaths in the country in 2023, the highest percentage of such recorded to date. Even more alarming, road crashes are the leading cause of death among Filipinos aged five to 29, per a 2023 report by the United Nations, injuring and killing both the nation’s workforce and its future

The government often responds to major crashes, like those on SCTEX and near the NAIA terminal. However these responses comprise mostly reactive measures like drug tests and infrastructure checks and are done only after tragedies occur. Critics point to weak enforcement, inadequate infrastructure checks, and poor licensing systems as barriers to justice and meaningful reform.

Permanent Scars 

Angela was doing rounds in a hospital at Ormoc, Leyte in May 2024 when she was called and informed of her father’s fatal condition. It took 40 minutes for the emergency responders to arrive at the mountainous area of Cebu City. Her father was pronounced dead on arrival. 

Overwhelmed with the sudden news, Angela, who was also 32 weeks pregnant at the time, quickly bought a ticket for a boat ride from Ormoc to Cebu City. She needed to hide her pregnancy to be permitted to board. “My dad was already in the freezer during that time. Those three hours [on board] were the longest three hours. I just remember crying a lot on the boat,” said Angela. 

The legal battle only added to the family's pain. In court mediation, they were pressured to name a settlement amount. But no sum could ever replace the loss of a father, Angela said.

“They said he was not worth much as he was already retired. They also added that if he were younger, employed, and a breadwinner, maybe we could ask for a bigger amount. Imagine being told to equate life to a certain amount in pesos,” she added. 

Current justice systems are poorly equipped to account for the complexities of road crash cases, where accountability is often unclear and legal remedies are insufficient. Although Angela’s family eventually settled with a compensation, the case was only resolved in court in December, already seven months after the crash, which occurred in May 2024. While the driver's public apology helped Angela find closure, what pains her the most is the fact that the so-called accident could have been prevented.

In the NAIA terminal crash on May 4, the SUV driver, who was found guilty of reckless driving, was released on bail and received only a P2,000 fine and a four-year license revocation, despite causing the deaths of two people. This is the maximum penalty allowed under Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01, according to the Land Transportation Office. 

Fueled by grief and the knowledge that her father's death was not an isolated case, Angela joined the Families of Road Victims and Survivors, a support and advocacy group pushing for stronger road safety laws. There, she began using her story to fight for a more just and accountable system. 

Avoidable Loss 

Beyond emotional toll and policy gaps, road crashes also strain the economy and healthcare system, exposing the broader cost of inaction.

Roy Trinidad, head surgeon of the trauma center at Western Visayas Medical Center, noticed a disturbing rise in the number of patients admitted to the emergency room in recent years due to crashes. Trinidad notes that the government spent P125 million on trauma cases in their hospital due to motor vehicular crashes, per research he is currently conducting within the medical center. 

“This is money that should go to cancer, infectious diseases,  or vaccinations, but no, it is spent on trauma due to motor vehicular crashes,” said Trinidad. 

In 2021, road crash deaths and serious injuries cost the Philippines an estimated P542 billion or about three percent of the country’s GDP. However, the real cost is not just the money spent on trauma cases, but the lives forever changed. Trinidad adds that when a drunk driver leaves a working father immobile, the losses go beyond income, as it may cause children to possibly leave school, translating to a future cut short. 

Following the SCTEX and NAIA crashes, grieving families and advocates called for stronger government actions. The Department of Health responded with a campaign focused on road safety education and mental health support, but advocates say such campaigns barely scratch the surface. 

What is urgently needed, they argue, is a nationwide commitment to fixing the systemic flaws that enable tragedies to repeat. 

Path to Prevention

Angela’s story and the reality faced by victims’ families echo a common plea to create proactive, structural reforms that prioritize human life in every aspect of government plans and projects.  Groups like the Families of Road Victims and Survivors are reclaiming their pain and demanding that government agencies work together with them to develop plans that address issues ranging from weak enforcement of traffic laws to failed infrastructure plans. 

Road safety groups are pushing for a Vision Zero Road Deaths project, inspired by Sweden’s successful Vision Zero model, which brought together government agencies, auto manufacturers, infrastructure planners, and the public to reduce road fatalities to zero. The initiative helped make Sweden the country with the fewest road accidents worldwide.

Until those in power commit to long term reform coupled with multi-stakeholder collaboration, more families will continue to suffer needlessly. While that commitment is absent, Angela and numerous families will continue to fight for a future where no parent, child, or loved one is lost to tragedy, and where efforts to protect human life are visible on every road. ●

First published in the June 19, 2025 print issue of the Collegian.