News
More than 1,000 bike riders speed to their deaths
More motorcyclists and pillion riders were killed on the roads last year. Weaving in and out of traffic, many riders are speeding to their deaths while destroying the lives of others and wrecking public property.
A recent accident in Polonnaruwa
As road traffic deaths rise, so is the number of bikes being registered.
The National Council for Road Safety said that last year 1,185 motorcyclists including 187 pillion riders were killed out of 3,078 deaths from road traffic accidents.
In 2016, 950 motorcyclists and 205 pillion riders were killed out of 2,961 deaths.
The Department of Motor Traffic said that in 2016 there were 340,129 motorcycle registrations, while in 2017 this number increased to 341,720.
Speeding and overtaking from the left are the two main reasons for the rising number of deaths of motorcyclists, the chairman of the National Safety for Road Council, Sisira Kodagoda said.
Helmets will be regulated under new laws.
A gazette notice will be issued once the Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aviation receives the draft from the legal draftsman’s office, to make helmets comply with SLS standards, he said.
“An action plan will be introduced next month,’’ he said.
Helmets that do not meet SLS standards, will be withdrawn from the market. But it is not known how this will be carried out.
Research will be done together with the Colombo South Teaching Hospital on motorcycle accidents and brain injuries. And finally solutions will be sought on reducing accidents.
Mr Kodagoda said the council will check for defects and other mechanical issues in motorbikes.
The president of the Ceylon Motorcyclists’ Association, Chirantha Amerasinghe, told the Sunday Times more people use them because they are affordable.
He believes that bike deaths are rising because of the lack of standards on imports. He also blames lax licensing of riders.
“Issuing of licenses has become so effortless and this has resulted in inefficient and negligent drivers,’’ he said.
Mr Amerasinghe emphasised that the group does not agree with massive fines considering the affordability to pay.
However, he believes that helmets should meet SLS standards.
“The helmet ejection rate in Sri Lanka is 45% and accordingly a full-faced helmet would be the ideal option for safety as it meets international standards. The helmet ejection rate can be reduced to 0.8%,’’ he said.
The National Hospital of Sri Lanka receives 20,000 road accident victims every year. And more than half are motorcycle accident victims.
According to the head of nursing, Pushpa R. Zoysa, many amateur riders are risking their lives.
“The head, neck and the spine are very vulnerable areas and injuries can affect the rider very badly,’’ she said.