As a preventive solution to road accidents at U-turn slots, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started installing blinker lights at accident-prone areas all over the metropolis.

Noemi Recio, MMDA Traffic Engineering Center director, said they will put up at least 100 blinker lights at U-turn slots all over the metropolis amidst the increase in the number of road accidents.

"The blinkers would serve as signal lights to maneuvering vehicles at U-turn slots and avoid accidents," said Recio.

The U-turn slots all over the metropolis were implemented by the agency to address the perennial traffic congestion problems, to improve the travel time of motorists and decongest traffic.

Apart from accidents, Recio said U-turn slots have drawn controversy. According to some motorists, they do not solve but instead worsen the problem of traffic congestion at intersections.

According to the agency’s Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System, the agency observed that accidents at U-turn slots happen during daytime. But severe accidents also happen during night-time and wee hours in the morning, prodding the agency to install the signal lights.

Moreover, the report cited that majority of accidents in the metropolis are due to human error.