Calls for mandatory brake testing

Did you know that nearly half of all public utility vehicles that have gone through thorough inspections for the past three-quarters of the year failed the brake safety standard?

This is the chilling findings of all the members of the Vehicle Inspection Center Operators Association of the Philippines (Vicoap) that was revealed during the media roundtable entitled “Preventing the Next Crash: Data-Driven Road Safety Reforms” that was held last week at the Komunidad Hub in BGC, Taguig City.

A total of 47.3 percent of all PUVs inspected by the group’s member-centers failed brake safety standards, analarming figure that  underscores the role of preventive inspection in protecting the millions of Filipinos who rely on public transport every day.

And it was the main issue in which the discussions revolved to call attention to the urgent need for safer, more roadworthy public utility vehicles and also in light of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims this week.

“Behind every crash is a preventable failure, and many of them start with the brakes. Our goal is to offer solutions backed by data. We want to support government agencies like the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Office in developing standards that make vehicle safety a shared responsibility,” said Atty. Lester Cavestany, the spokesperson for Vicoap.

“Every unsafe vehicle on the road is a risk we can prevent. Brake testing isn’t bureaucracy — it’s a life-saving measure. Every data point we collect represents a family that gets home safely,” he added.

The discussion brought together representatives from the Philippine Advocates for Road Safety, e-Sakay, De La Salle University, WRNumero and Vicoap to explore how data-driven policies can translate into safer roads.

Also highlighted was findings from the WRNumero Surveys for Good (S4G) 2025, which showed that 8 in 10 Filipinos fear road accidents, and that lower-income commuters — who depend most on public transport — express the strongest concern about road safety.

“What makes this issue urgent is that it affects the everyday Filipino commuter. As roads get busier toward the holidays, we need to ensure that PUVs on the road are fit to carry passengers safely home,” added Mikael Degilla, the head of Public Affairs & Compliance of e-Sakay.

Vicoap emphasized that the event’s goal was to encourage the drafting or refining of existing vehicle inspection policies to mandating brake testing for PUVs, a move aligned with the DOTr’s Road Safety Action Plan, which aims to reduce traffic-related deaths by 35% by 2028 .

The forum concluded with a shared call for continued dialogue among policymakers, transport operators, and the public to ensure that science-based vehicle inspection becomes a cornerstone of commuter safety.

As the Philippines observes the World Day of Remembrance later this month, Vicoap reaffirms its commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, and collaboration in building safer roads for all. It is a private, non-profit organization committed to ensuring road safety and environmental compliance by promoting standardized and comprehensive vehicle inspections across the Philippines and is committed to enhancing road safety in support of the Department of Transportation’s Road Safety Action Plan, ensuring that Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers play a vital role in conducting thorough vehicle inspections that go beyond just emissions testing.