Sri Lanka to reinforce safe driving behaviour among motorists
View(s):A far reaching road safety campaign is to be launched with the involvement of Department of Motor Traffic, City Traffic police and the Health Ministry in collaboration with the private sector in a major effort to reinforce safe driving behaviour among motorists, officials said.
The number of road traffic accidents is increasing day by day and the issue has become very grave with 150 accidents per day on an average with 5-6 fatalities, Commissioner General of Motor Traffic S. H. Harischandra told the Business Times.
He said that a well-planned road traffic campaign with the involvement of all motoring institutions and the private sector as well as the media will be implemented to educate motorists and pedestrians as the Traffic Police alone cannot discipline motorists and control reckless driving.
He added that the interim report of the Parliamentary Committee on the increase in road accidents has found that road accidents in the last decade caused damage of over Rs. 100 billion with more than a million vehicles damaged.
Considering the seriousness of the issue they have decided to launch this road safety programme to promote safe driving practices among motorists, he added.
Modalities of the campaign are being worked out giving priority to the creation of awareness on consistent use of indicators, wearing of seatbelts, maintaining road discipline and observing traffic rules, he said adding that this campaign will commence in the city of Colombo and expanded to other areas in the future.
The assistance of transport and logistics sector experts including university professors will also be sought towards this end. A senior police officer attached to City Traffic Police said that there is an urgent need to train policemen involved in traffic control and the road campaign is also aimed at educating them by conducting special public seminars with active participation f the police. He noted that the fundamental causes of accidents are speeding, overtaking at wrong places, running without signals and lack of road manners.
“We hope that through this campaign, corrective measures could be taken to reduce and eliminate such occurrences in the future,” he added.