News
Three-wheelers sans safety locks veer sharply towards fatal accidents
Police have begun a crackdown on three-wheelers with illegally modified turning circles for quick turnaround, thus threatening passenger safety. Police said yesterday that factory settings restricted the turning circle in the front wheel, in keeping with safety standards. However, some were removing the locking mechanism, so they could do U-turns in double quick time, they said.
M. Roy
This was one of the main reasons for the hike in accidents involving these vehicles. Three-wheeler accidents account for over 8% of fatal accidents in the country, annually. About 3,000 persons are killed in road accidents, annually.
The Motor Traffic Department (MTD) and the Police have jointly launched a crackdown to arrest drivers/owners of three-wheelers sans sharp-turn-safety-locks, and file action against them, while the defective vehicles would not be allowed on the roads, till the safety locks are re-fitted.
MTD Commissioner General S.H. Harischandra told the Sunday Times that some of the three-wheelers owners/drivers remove the safety lock, enabling them to take sharp turns within a small space, thereby raising the possibility of the vehicle overturning.
He said that any change to the vehicle was a violation of the Motor Traffic Act., with those found guilty to be produced in courts and fined. Earlier this month, three-wheeler driver Mohammed Sadeek proceeding in his vehicle from Armour Street towards Peliyagoda, attempting to avoid a container, had taken a sharp right turn. He was thrown out of the three-wheeler and killed instantly, as he was run over by the container.
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| A matter of life and death: An unlocked three wheeler (above left) and one with a lock (above right). Pix by Indika Handuwala | |
The Motor Examiner, on checking the three-wheeler, found the safety lock which prevents the vehicle from taking sharp turns, removed. “This is the case in many of these vehicles, which lead to accidents,” said a senior police officer not authorised to speak to the media.
He said that, usually, a three-wheeler could turn about 60 degrees, but slowly and gradually. However, without the safety lock, it can take a 90-degree turn with hardly a change in speed.
“This could hurl passengers out of the three-wheeler, or it could topple, endangering the life of the driver as well,” he said.
He said that the purpose of the safety lock was to prevent three-wheelers from veering sharply, but most local drivers consider it a hindrance. Some of the drivers said they welcomed the move, because the hike in accidents was deterring passengers from travelling in their vehicles.
M. Roy, a driver from Kopannyaveediya, told the Sunday Times “Many of the drivers know how to unlock the safety lock. They do it by vigorously shaking the handle, which dislodges a metal piece inside,” he said.
However, several other drivers said that they were compelled to resort to such actions, as hires were very competitive with an abundance of three-wheelers.
“This has turned to be a very competitive business, and therefore, we need to get the next hire as soon as possible. Hence, we resort to doing away with the safety lock,” said Siripala Manage, a driver from Kiribathgoda.
He said that it helps him negotiate narrow roads with sharp turns saving travelling time and distance.
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