EDSA has been a hell of a lot quieter in terms of road mishaps over the past few months. This observation becomes even more obvious when you compare Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) statistics in 2020 to last year’s figures.
The MMDA recently released EDSA road crash data from June 1 to September 6, 2020, and it shows a significant drop in accidents compared to around the same period in 2019. The total number of accidents, both fatal and non-fatal, add up to around 618 this year—a massive “improvement” when compared alongside last year’s 4,652 accidents from June 1 to August 31, 2019.
Check out the data below:
2019 EDSA road crash statistics
- Damage to property – 4,244
- Fatal – 8
- Non-fatal injury – 400
- Grand total – 4,652
2020 EDSA road crash statistics
- Damage to property – 509
- Fatal – 5
- Non-fatal injury – 104
- Grand total – 618
Now, we say “improvement” because we all know the reason for the massive dip in accidents along EDSA: The COVID-19 pandemic. Still, fewer road mishaps is always a good thing, and the massive drop in crashes happened even with Metro Manila’s shift back to general community quarantine in June. It’s important to note, though, that the period recorded includes a two-week return to a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine, too.
June was the most dangerous month on EDSA during the period mentioned above, with 324 total accidents. And the most accident-prone cities were Quezon City, Mandaluyong City, and Makati City, with 312, 115, and 97 accidents, respectively. Those rankings are the same as last year’s, when 2,131, 983, and 928 accidents were recorded in each city.
So, do you think this trend will hold as the year moves forward, or will accident figures rise as we enter the holiday season? Let us know in the comments.
