‘Eight die daily in road accidents’

Road accidents are increasing daily and about eight persons die of road accidents daily in the country, according to the Ministry of Health.

Most accidents and fatalities are caused due to motorcycle and three-wheeler accidents.

In 2017, about 3,153 persons died of road accidents. The reasons for the accidents are driving while using mobile phones, driving under the influence of liquor, sleep deprivation and tiredness, according to the Ministry of Health.

Kurunegala District Director of Education addressing a meeting of school deputy principals at Bingiriya Youth Training Centre, Kurunegala said the school community needs to be educated on road accidents and ways of reducing and preventing them.

About 450 awareness programmes are planned at provincial schools of Kurunegala and Puttalam at the end of November, he said.