Manila, June 3 -- Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday pledged to reform the country's road safety regulations, calling them major failures that contributed to the alarming number of road crashes in recent years.

Speaking before the Commission on Appointments, Dizon admitted that road transport is the most challenging sector under the Department of Transportation (DOTr), citing widespread regulatory lapses in vehicle inspections and driver licensing.

"These are not accidents. These are crashes that could have been prevented. Our road safety regulations have failed us," he said.

He pointed to recent fatal incidents, including the May 1 crash involving a Solid North bus at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) that killed ...