Road Safety and Comprehensive Driver's Education Act

Scie Office of the Be carp TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session AUG -5 P2:16 SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. 907 Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT INTEGRATING BASIC ROAD SAFETY AND COMPREHENSIVE DRIVER'S EDUCATION IN THE CURRICULUM OF THE BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM EXPLANATORY NOTE The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) launched the UN Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) and the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) because "Childhood road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death and morbidity. Every day, approximately 600 children lose their lives and thousands of others suffer long lasting or permanent physical disabilities due to road traffic collisions. For children and young adults aged 5-19 years, road traffic injury is the global number one cause of death."! This predicament is also present in the Philippines. The country faces a pressing road safety crisis, with over 12,000 fatalities annually and substantial economic losses equivalent to 2-3% of GDP. The economic and social impact of road traffic incidents cannot be overstated. Preventable accidents strain the healthcare system, reduce workforce productivity, and cause emotional and financial distress to families. 1 United Nations Children's Fund 2023 Engagement Strategy pdf

A significant number of the road accidents in the country involve young people, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive road safety education. Road safety education remains absent in the current K to 12 curriculum, leaving students ill- equipped to navigate roads safely. By equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed for safe road use, accidents and their associated costs will be reduced. This measure seeks to instill responsible road use behaviors and safety awareness at an early age to address these alarming trends. By integrating road safety into the curriculum, this bill aims to close a critical knowledge gap and foster a culture of accountability and precaution among young Filipinos. This bill is a vital step towards safeguarding lives and fostering a culture of road safety and responsibility. In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is highly recommended. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA

Belli if offin of the scary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session AUG -5 P2:16 SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. _ Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT INTEGRATING BASIC ROAD SAFETY AND COMPREHENSIVE DRIVER'S EDUCATION IN THE CURRICULUM OF THE BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Road Safety and

2 Comprehensive Driver's Education Act".

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to

4 reduce road accidents on all types of roads used for transportation by raising the 5 awareness of road users such as pedestrians, commuters and motorists on their rights 6 and responsibilities and the everyday risks that they face. As such, the State shall 7 ensure that all road users are aware of the principles of basic road safety and 8 comprehensive driver's education.

Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For the purpose of this Act:

a) Basic road safety refers to the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians and commuters in their use of all types of roads used for transportation in order to reduce the incidence of road accidents. It shall include, but not be limited to, road awareness, road signages, responsible commuting, and the responsibilities of pedestrians; b) Comprehensive Driver's Education refers to the rights and responsibilities of drivers in their use of on all types of roads used for transportation in order to reduce the incidence of road accidents. It shall include but not be limited

to basic road safety and its components, education on pertinent laws and rules and regulations on driving, traffic signages, driving safety, and car passenger safety;

Sec. 4. Integration into Curriculum. - Basic road safety and comprehensive

5 driver's education are hereby integrated into the curriculum of the basic education 6 program. Basic road safety shall be made part of the elementary curriculum. 7 Comprehensive driver's education shall be made part of the high school curriculum.

Sec. 5. Ad-Hoc Curriculum Committee. - There shall be created an ad-hoc

curriculum committee composed of the Secretary of the Department of Education 10 (DepEd), the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Executive Director of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Executive Director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), or their permanent representatives. The committee shall be administratively attached to the DepEd and chaired by the DepEd Secretary or his permanent representative. The Committee shall conduct public hearings and consult concerned stakeholders from the private and non-governmental sectors. The committee shall convene within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this 19 Act and shall have one (1) year to design the basic road safety and comprehensive driver's education program and its components. Thereafter, the Committee shall be functus officio and the member agencies shall ensure the full and continuing implementation of this Act.

Sec. 6. Appropriations. - The funds needed for the purpose of this Act shall be

indicated as a line item under the budget of the DepEd under the General Appropriations Act. Appropriations for the implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the Special Road Safety Fund as created under Republic Act No. 8794.

Sec. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DepEd, DOTr, LTO, LTFRB,

and MMDA shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act within thirty (30) days from its effectivity.

Sec. 8. Separability Clause. - If any part, section or provision of this Act is

declared invalid or unconstitutional, the sections or provisions which are not affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, ordinances, rules,

2 regulations, other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

Sec. 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

5 complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,