Road accidents continue to claim a heavy toll of lives in this country, and there appears to be no let-up to this alarming trend. It is said that, on average, four persons are killed each day on our roads, falling victim to accidents. Already, there are reports that very soon the number of road deaths occurring in the country could well surpass that of those killed during the Eelam war—both civilians and combatants. Hence, the need to deal with the matter with the utmost urgency.
According to our main story yesterday, during the past five years alone, road accidents in Sri Lanka have resulted in the tragic loss of 12,140 lives and left over 33,259 persons permanently disabled, according to Traffic Police data. The report further adds that, after illnesses and aging, road accidents are the leading cause of premature deaths in the country. Police officials from the Traffic Division stated that they have already taken fundamental steps to mitigate this road ‘terrorism’ under the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme. According to Police Traffic Headquarters statistics, from 2020 to November 30, 2024, there have been 117,970 traffic accidents in the country. The year 2024 alone saw the highest number of accidents, with 24,589 incidents recorded. Police Traffic Division’s data also revealed that, as of November 30, 2024, there were 2,005 public transport bus accidents, including 515 SLCTB bus accidents and 1,490 private bus accidents, with the SLCTB accounting for 50 fatal accidents and private buses 148 fatal accidents.
The seriousness of the issue certainly demands immediate action to, if not totally eliminate, at least control the number of road accidents resulting in such a large number of fatalities. We say this because there is no knowing how many among the 12,140 who lost their lives during the last five years had dependents to feed and clothe, not to mention school-going children. In such an event, they certainly would have been rendered orphaned, with no one to turn to for support. With the head of the family lost, there is also the possibility of the children getting into bad company and going astray, with no firm hand to deal with them. Hence, this has now also become a social problem that should engage the attention of the concerned authorities.
The reasons for such a large number of road accidents occurring in the country should be identified immediately, and necessary action taken to put the brakes on this alarming situation. If existing laws are inadequate to deal with errant motorists, new laws should be introduced to bring in harsh punishments for those in violation of traffic laws and road rules. If possible, even the death penalty should be imposed on motorists who cause deaths as a result of drunk driving. What difference does it make when what is involved are innocent lives? All un-roadworthy vehicles too should be taken off the roads, since faulty mechanisms of the vehicles could also result in accidents. Most accidents are also caused by slow reflexes due to advanced age. Hence, an age ceiling should be introduced to determine who is competent to take the wheel. This is not to say that only those in the younger age groups should drive. There are those in their old age who are safe drivers. However, as is well known, when one advances in age, they are bound to have problems with eyesight in addition to slow reflexes—a combination that can have adverse repercussions. Hence, it would be ideal if those in certain age groups were made to refrain from driving as far as possible—a move which could certainly contribute towards reducing the number of road accidents.
Sleepiness while driving is also a surefire way to cause accidents. This is particularly so where heavy vehicles on long hauls are involved. These vehicles usually travel from distant places in the outstations to Colombo, carrying heavy cargo during the night. At some point during the long journey, the driver is bound to fall asleep, resulting in the vehicle going out of control. Hence, drivers of all long-haul vehicles should be advised to rest on and off during their long journeys and resume only when fully fit and awake.
More often than not, the condition of our roads too contributes in no small way to road accidents. This is another aspect those responsible for dealing with road accidents should look into. Most roads, especially in the provinces, are not motorable, which could be a hindrance to the driver and make them lose concentration.
All driving schools too should be brought under scrutiny by the concerned authorities. We say this because, today, there are so-called driving schools at every street corner, and whether most of these driving schools are qualified enough to issue competent certificates to their students for obtaining driving licenses is questionable. Some of these driving schools are known to issue competent certificates prematurely, especially to those who are in a hurry to seek foreign employment as drivers. This could be another cause for the rising incidents of road accidents, where those not fully competent in handling the wheel are allowed a free run. This aspect too should engage the attention of those tasked with dealing with the rising number of road accidents.
