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Road deaths have become a national tragedy in Sri Lanka. Here a team from the Peradeniya University, Dr. C.D.A Goonesekera, H.J. Suraweera and M. Salgadu reveal the shocking statistics on road accidents and suggest what we need to do to curb the problem.
On average, six people die every day due to road traffic accidents in Sri Lanka. This daily death toll and the number injured are now exceeding the death toll and injuries that occurred during the North-East war. This is why road trauma in this country has now reached the proportions of a national tragedy.

Over 50,000 road traffic accidents occurred in Sri Lanka in 2002 and over 2000 of these were fatal. It is clear that the counter measures adopted by the authorities responsible and governments to reduce road trauma have failed to date.

Why is this? What action can we take?
The costs of road trauma are massive. For everyone who dies on the road, another 11 are injured and some of them suffer lifelong disability. The losses broadly include the medical costs involved in treating victims, the loss to society through contributions by the victims, policing and legal costs, costs in terms of grief and pain borne by families and loved ones and damage to vehicles and property.

The estimated cost of road trauma in Sri Lanka was a staggering Rs. 8.13 billion in 1999, Rs. 8.79 billion in 2000 and climbed to Rs. 10.25 billion in 2001. This is close to 1-2 percent of our GNP.

Forty-one percent of fatal road injuries and 61 percent of all traffic accidents in the country are reported from the Western Province. The most risky roads to travel in Sri Lanka are the A3 Peliyagoda to Kochchikade, A2 Colombo to Aluthgama and A1 Colombo to Nittambuwa.

Three wheelers are involved in 18 percent of all accidents, buses in 17 percent, vans in 16 percent and motorcycles in 12 percent. Only 6 percent involve cars.

In the Western Province, people injured in an accident are 38 percent pedestrians, 26 percent passengers, 14 percent pedal cyclists, 12 percent motorcyclists and 10 percent drivers.

Three wheelers, buses and vans constitute the most common vehicles involved in road accidents. Together they are involved in more than 50 percent of all accidents (these are mainly commercial vehicles). Buses and three wheelers are equally involved in accidents and thus the size of the vehicle cannot be a factor. The environment is the same, the roads are the same and hence it is driver behaviour that may be contributing to a high incidence of their involvement in road accidents.

Why are so many pedestrians involved in road accidents? Are they careless? This is likely but the most important reason could be inadequate facilities for pedestrians on the roads. In cities, we see makeshift shops or vehicles occupying space and pavements meant for pedestrian use.

Regrettably our road designers have given little thought to pedestrians. In a developed country, road design would automatically include sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, foot bridges, subways and walkways to keep pedestrians safe. What are our designers doing?

The epidemic of road trauma that we see today can be reduced only by attending to the four basic aspects that contribute to road traffic accidents, which are a) road user discipline, b) vehicle road worthiness, c) road condition and d) the road environment. Senior police officers tend to bl

ame the use of mobile phones or speed as the major or sole cause of road traffic accidents in this country. But the reason for rising road trauma is partly due to an uncoordinated non-scientific and ad-hoc approach to its curtailment. Poor brakes, no lights, malfunctioning wipers, poor tyres, lack of road capacity, black spots, narrow roads, bottle necks, bad surface, poor lighting, indisciplined drivers and pedestrians all contribute to road accidents. Hot weather, mist, walls built close to roads and even trees grown on pavements are also considered contributory factors. Thus prevention needs attention to all these factors and not just driver behaviour.

There is no doubt that Sri Lankan roads will see more deaths unless stern action is taken to enforce driver discipline. This is related to poor driver training and poor enforcement of law and order on the road. Due to politicization, there are also some drivers who expect to be above the law. This not only includes politicians but also their associates, drivers of VIP escorts, emergency vehicles and armed forces and also professionals like doctors.

An estimated 40 percent of three wheel drivers have no driving licences, that is nearly every other three wheel driver. What has the police been doing? The fact is, most police officers are biased and blind to breaches in road traffic rules committed by these drivers. Investment should go into making our Police officers more professional and efficient.

Drivers also need to learn safe driving practices. They should not hog two lanes, but cruise in the left lane, leaving the right lane free for overtaking only. They should avoid lane changing without due vigilance and know the right of way rules.

Applicants must know that a driving licence is not the fundamental right of every adult but a precious privilege that has to be earned. The need for public service vehicle licensing is urgent, through the employment of a new Public Service Vehicle Licensing Programme for all buses, three wheelers and other public transport vehicle drivers. The idea is to give the applicants a thorough training and award a special licence after a strict assessment based not only on driving skills but also on correct attitudes and discipline that are of equal or even greater importance, like a responsible attitude towards the

safety of passengers especially children, expectant mothers, the elderly and the disabled. This licence should be made mandatory in order to drive a public service vehicle and the driver periodically reassessed. If this programme is correctly implemented it is quite reasonable to believe that it could be the most potent tool in the reduction of mortality and morbidity associated with road traffic accidents in our country.

There is at present, no effective deterrent for drivers in Sri Lanka not to commit driving offences. In developed countries, drivers are disqualified for specified periods for specified offences if they commit or accumulate a certain number of penalty points over a specific period. We need such a scheme here, especially for commercial drivers.

There is an urgent need to formulate an authoritative body such as a commission which will also have the power to coordinate and execute travel related projects and also prosecute government and non-government bodies defying road standards or developments. This body would have the authority to coordinate all activities in relation to traffic movement and curtailment of accidents, including road development, directing traffic police, traffic laws and also provision of alternative surface transport services such as trains, monorails, underground trains etc. At present, each sector does its bit without any coordination.

(Extracts from a study by Dr. C.D.A. Goonesekera, consultant anaesthesiologist and senior lecturer, Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya, H.J. Suraweera, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya and M. Salgadu, lecturer, Peradeniya University).

Six steps to safety
The Green Cross code is an internationally adopted guide to crossing the road safely. It comprises six steps that are taught at a young age in schools in developed countries. Why not here too?

Find a safe place to cross and then stop. If possible cross the road at subways, footbridges, zebra and traffic light crossings or where there is a police officer or school crossing patrol.

Stand on the pavement near the kerb. Give yourself a lot of time to have a good look all-around. Stand a little way back from the kerb - where you will be away from traffic, but where you can still see if anything is coming. If there is no pavement, stand back from edge of the road but where you can still see traffic is coming.

Use your eyes and ears. Look all around for traffic and listen. Listen carefully because you can sometimes hear traffic before you see it.

Wait until it is safe to cross. Do not cross unless there is a safe gap and you are sure there is plenty of time. If you are not sure, do not cross.

Look and listen. When it is safe, walk straight across the road. Always walk across, never run.

Arrive alive. Keep looking and listening for traffic while you cross.

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