Manila, Jan. 5 -- The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday recorded a 101-percent increase in road crash injuries in its sentinel hospitals during the recent holiday season, prompting renewed calls for stricter enforcement of traffic laws.

In a statement, the DOH said a total of 1,384 road crash injury cases were logged from Dec. 21, 2025 to 5 a.m. of Jan. 5, 2026 -- double the 690 cases recorded during the same surveillance period covering the 2024-2025 holidays.

Of the total cases, 647 or 47 percent involved individuals aged 15 to 29 years, highlighting the vulnerability of the youth during peak travel periods.

The DOH also reported that among fatal cases, seven out of 10 deaths involved motorcycle riders, six of whom were not wearin...