News
Silky-smooth new highways lure reckless drivers to death
Driving on the plush new highways of Sri Lanka has made the average driver push his luck to the limit with the result that accidents on the trunk roads connecting major cities and ports have shot up in recent years, according to motor traffic police.
Traffic police statistics reveal that there are 102 accidents reported daily around the country with a fatality rate of 7.5 persons a day. This figure is high compared to the figures of last year when 98 accidents were reported daily with six persons dying on the spot.
A recent accident on the Anuradhapura-Puttalam-Colombo road
Accidents are more frequent on the Anuradhapura-Puttalam-Colombo road, with nearly three reported each day. The Ministry of Health recently identified the Anuradhapura-Puttalam-Colombo road as one of five roads that have a record number of accidents in the country.
There has been 35,966 accidents with 2,260 fatal deaths in the past year and for the first seven months of this year alone the accidents total 21,493 with a record 1,686 deaths reported. This works out to 102 accidents a day with eight deaths a day.
Of this, the A3 highway stretching from Peliyagoda to Puttalam, stretching for around 22.73 km, has in the recent past recorded a massive 981 accidents with 92 fatalities and 192 cases of serious injury.
The main reason for the accidents has been attributed to motorists driving at high speed down the provincial trunk road and overtaking vehicles in front of them. Last year there were 603 accidents caused by speed and an additional 303 accidents during overtaking.
The Department of Motor Vehicles states that as of the end of last year, 5,633,234 vehicles were plying the roads of Sri Lanka.
Additionally, in the first four months of 2015, 206,775 vehicles were registered, including 24,488 motor cars 39,425 three-wheelers and 124,658 motor cycles and others.
Motorcyclists were the worst offenders in ignoring road rules, while dual purpose vehicles and lorries contributed the second highest number of accidents. DIG Traffic Amarasiri Senaratne said traffic police were conducting various programmes to educate the public. “We conduct workshops and enact accidents on the streets to educate motorists and pedestrians,” he said. “We conduct these programmes in the 238 police stations around the island.”The Registrar of Motor Vehicles, Commissioner-General A.H.K. Jagath, said the increase in the density of vehicles on the roads was causing concern.
He also said his department observed strict measures when issuing driving licences. The licensees are expected to pass a medical test for physical fitness issued by the Transport Medical Institute of the Ministry of Transport. The checkup includes the testing of the drivers’ vision, sugar levels, blood pressure and operating hand movements.
In view of the physical fitness playing a greater role in proper driving practices the Department of Motor Traffic is now planning to have licence-holders medically tested every four years. By Chrishanthi Christopher.
Driving on the plush new highways of Sri Lanka has made the average driver push his luck to the limit with the result that accidents on the trunk roads connecting major cities and ports have shot up in recent years, according to motor traffic police.
Traffic police statistics reveal that there are 102 accidents reported daily around the country with a fatality rate of 7.5 persons a day. This figure is high compared to the figures of last year when 98 accidents were reported daily with six persons dying on the spot.
Accidents are more frequent on the Anuradhapura-Puttalam-Colombo road, with nearly three reported each day. The Ministry of Health recently identified the Anuradhapura-Puttalam-Colombo road as one of five roads that have a record number of accidents in the country.
There has been 35,966 accidents with 2,260 fatal deaths in the past year and for the first seven months of this year alone the accidents total 21,493 with a record 1,686 deaths reported. This works out to 102 accidents a day with eight deaths a day.
Of this, the A3 highway stretching from Peliyagoda to Puttalam, stretching for around 22.73 km, has in the recent past recorded a massive 981 accidents with 92 fatalities and 192 cases of serious injury.
The main reason for the accidents has been attributed to motorists driving at high speed down the provincial trunk road and overtaking vehicles in front of them. Last year there were 603 accidents caused by speed and an additional 303 accidents during overtaking.
The Department of Motor Vehicles states that as of the end of last year, 5,633,234 vehicles were plying the roads of Sri Lanka.
Additionally, in the first four months of 2015, 206,775 vehicles were registered, including 24,488 motor cars 39,425 three-wheelers and 124,658 motor cycles and others.
Motorcyclists were the worst offenders in ignoring road rules, while dual purpose vehicles and lorries contributed the second highest number of accidents.DIG Traffic Amarasiri Senaratne said traffic police were conducting various programmes to educate the public. “We conduct workshops and enact accidents on the streets to educate motorists and pedestrians,” he said. “We conduct these programmes in the 238 police stations around the island.”The Registrar of Motor Vehicles, Commissioner-General A.H.K. Jagath, said the increase in the density of vehicles on the roads was causing concern.
He also said his department observed strict measures when issuing driving licences. The licensees are expected to pass a medical test for physical fitness issued by the Transport Medical Institute of the Ministry of Transport. The checkup includes the testing of the drivers’ vision, sugar levels, blood pressure and operating hand movements.
In view of the physical fitness playing a greater role in proper driving practices the Department of Motor Traffic is now planning to have licence-holders medically tested every four years.