News
Driver discipline urged to put brakes on rising road accidents
View(s):By Nathara Abeywickrema
The recent spike in road accident deaths and injuries has yet again prompted the authorities to call for driver discipline, the lack of which has been identified as a main cause of road deaths.
According to the police, an estimated 930 fatal accidents have resulted in 976 deaths from January to June this year.
On Monday, three members of a family were killed in a head-on collision between their three-wheeler and a tipper truck at Thulhiriya in Warakapola. Driver fatigue was blamed for the tragedy.
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- The accident in Vavuniya claimed the lives of a mother and her daughter. Pix by Romesh Madusanka
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- An accident in Gampaha this week
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- Collision between a schoolbus and a private bus this week at Diyatalawa, Kahagolle. Pix by Nayanananda Buwaneka
In yet another road tragedy, two people died and one was injured in a collision between a lorry and a Navy staff bus at Malida on the Giridara-Delgoda Road on Friday morning. Reckless driving was blamed for the accident.
Also on Friday, a 36-year-old mother and her six-year-old daughter died after a tipper truck knocked them down while they were waiting for a bus at Kannati on the Vavuniya-Mannar Road. Aggressive driving was the cause of the accident.
“A road accident is the last thing a rational motorist would want while at the wheels, but not many learn from previous mistakes,” Police Spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said. “Although most road users are aware of general rules and safety measures, there is concern over their laxity.”
Noting that the primary cause of accidents was human error, SSP Thalduwa also identified heedlessness, ignorance of the road rules, and jaywalking as contributory factors for accidents involving pedestrians.
Eating, drinking, using mobile phones, or even fiddling with the vehicle radio while on the move can distract a driver and cause accidents. The worst distraction is paying attention to the phone. It takes only five seconds to send or read a text. Within those five seconds, anything undesirable can occur and lead to an accident, or even, death, the police spokesman said.
The Police identify reckless driving as an action of the driver who shows disregard for the safety of human life and property. Such a driver prefers to be a lead foot despite knowing the risk. This was evident in Friday’s accident in Vavuniya.
Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Amarasiri Senaratne, who was in charge of traffic administration and road safety, told the Sunday Times tailgating, exceeding the speed limit, and not using turn signals when changing lanes or turning were all part of reckless driving. “Accidents are generally caused by one or more poor decisions by drivers. All these poor decisions will not just harm a life, but would cost even more than that.”
According to police road safety advisors, not answering the phone or keeping it in silent mode is a good practice. This will prevent the needless temptation to check the phone. Next, the driver should also minimize in-car distractions, they say.
It is important to keep the focus and concentrate on driving, for the sole purpose of saving lives. Everything nonessential can wait; someone’s precious life will never be redeemable, the police say.
Drunk driving has seemingly become one of the main causes of fatal road accidents in Sri Lanka. In many drunk driving accidents, drivers under the influence of alcohol had drifted off the road or into the lane meant for traffic in the opposite direction.
Another key cause that leads to fatal accidents is automobile defects. An automobile defect can be construed as any deficiency in a motor vehicle that induces damage or injury to a person.
Safety-related defects contain wheels that crack or break and damaged steering components that can lead to loss of vehicle control which would eventually result in a fatal accident. Besides, the malfunction of the brake systems and the airbags also could lead to fatal outcomes.
According to the Global Road Safety Facility Fund, Sri Lanka has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world. There were 2403 road traffic fatalities in Sri Lanka in 2022. To make Sri Lanka’s roads safe is a collective responsibility placed on all citizens, experts say.
Retired DIG Senaratne said road accidents could be minimised through education, road safety awareness campaigns, and the strict enforcement of the law, with the focus being not only on the errant drivers but also on the vehicle’s roadworthiness and road infrastructure.
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