112 road crashed in just 3 months: No helmet, drunk driving, minors blamed for surge in Kalinga accidents

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – A total of 112 vehicular traffic accidents were recorded across Kalinga from April to June 2026, an 18-percent increase from the 95 cases logged during the same period last year, according to data from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Kalinga Provincial Headquarters.

FO1 Leizl Graile B. Bali of the BFP-Kalinga Public Information Unit (PIU), in an interview with Guru Press Cordillera on July 2, 2026, said the rising number of road crashes has alarmed authorities as more accidents continue to threaten lives and place additional pressure on emergency responders throughout the province.

The BFP officer described that most incidents they responded to usually involved those without helmet, drunk, or minors.

"Mostly nga resrespondean dagiti kakadwa mi ket awan helmet na, nakainom ken minors. Isu nga be responsible kuma dagitoy nagannak. Haan da kuma payagan nga apan rumwar ti babbalay da nu tengnga ti rabii ken aginum," said Bali. ("Most of the incidents our personnel respond to involve people who are not wearing helmets, are intoxicated, and are minors. Parents should be responsible and should not allow their children to go out late at night and drink.")

Tabuk records highest number of responses

The increase in accidents logged in Kalinga was largely driven by Tabuk City, which recorded the highest number of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responses and remained the primary contributor to the province's road accident cases.

The Tabuk City Fire Station, according to BFP-Kalinga data, responded to 84 road accidents during the second quarter of 2026, slightly lower than the 87 cases recorded during the same period in 2025. Despite the slight decline, the city still accounted for about 75 percent of all EMS road accident responses in Kalinga.

Single-vehicle crashes continue to rise

BFP data likewise showed that single-vehicle accidents posted the biggest increase, climbing from 59 incidents in 2025 to 69 incidents in 2026. Most of these involved motorcycles and other isolated road crashes.

Meanwhile, multiple-vehicle accidents declined from 37 cases last year to 28 cases this year, indicating fewer collisions involving several vehicles.

Based on reports gathered by emergency responders, failure to wear helmets, drunk driving, and minors operating motorcycles remained the leading contributing factors in many road accidents across the province.

BFP urges motorists to drive responsibly

With road accidents continuing to rise, particularly those involving motorcycles and young riders, the BFP renewed its appeal for stricter road discipline and stronger parental supervision, emphasizing that many of these incidents are preventable.

The agency reminded motorists to always wear standard helmets and other protective gear, avoid driving under the influence of alcohol, obey traffic laws, and remain alert while on the road. Parents were likewise urged not to allow minors to operate motorcycles or stay out late at night to drink.