Strategy to recover expenditure spent on accident victims

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spends a large amounts to treat road accidents victims annually without getting paid a cent. All other parties connected to road accidents receive compensation.

A strategy will be formulated in the future to cover the expenditure spent on treating road accident victims, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.

He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Health Education Bureau to educate journalists on road safety to mark the first UN Global Road Safety Week to be held until April 29.

This is organised by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry Trauma Secretariat and the Sri Lanka Police Department’s Public Relations Section.

De Silva said the drivers’ job is not considered a profession in Sri Lanka and they are treated as third grade persons who do an odd job. “

“Therefore they tend to treat themselves the same manner and do not think about their professional advancement. It is time to think about this issue seriously to ensure the quality of the driving and drivers’ profession. As a society we all are responsible for this issue, he said.

The Minister said steps that have been taken for the advancement of the Sri Lankan health sector and arrangements have been made to set up a trauma centre at Rs. 3.5 billion with the assistance of Saudi Arabian Government.

Prof. A.H. Sherifdeen said vehicles should not be driven when drivers feel drowsy or sleepy. “Drivers should think about their lives and the lives of others. When sleepy, drivers should chew a chewing gum. Drinking coffee can be useful, he said.

Prof. Sherfideen said one third of people killed by road accidents at night are pedestrians and cyclists.

“We have to encourage cyclists, to wear helmets and use reflectors. About 90 per cent of cyclists in Sri Lanka do not have head lights on their bicycles and the bicycles are not registered,” he added.

Deputy Director, Health Education Bureau, Dr. Kanthi Ariyaratne, WHO Representative for Sri Lanka, Dr. Agustino Borra and Director, Traffic and Road Safety, Lucky Peiris also spoke.

The Traffic Police and Transport Ministry have organised several activities to mark the Road Safety Week under the theme ‘Young road users’.

Several awareness raising programmes have been organised to educate youths and school children on road safety.

Highest road deaths from motorcycle accidents

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: Forty per cent of road accident deaths in Sri Lanka are caused by motorbicycles, it was disclosed yesterday.

Head, Trauma Secretariat, Dr. Anil Jasinghe said motorcycles cause the biggest number of deaths.

He was addressing a press briefing held at the Health Education Bureau, Colombo yesterday to mark the first UN Global Road Safety Week 2007.

Dr.Jasinghe said that since 1999, 50 per cent of the vehicles registered in Sri Lanka are motorbicycles. He said that head injuries are the prime cause for the deaths.

He said properly fastened helmets reduce 72 per cent of accidents and reduces deaths by 39 per cent. In Sri Lanka, helmets are mandatory but the popularity of mopeds, whose riders are not legally required to wear helmets, has become a problem. The usage of helmets is very low in the age group of 18 to 25.

Dr. Jasinghe explained that many Lankans use helmets to avoid traffic police fines, but they do not know that it protects them from fatal motorbicycle accidents. Most do not know that helmets protect the rider’s and pillion riders’ heads from acceleration and deceleration forces which cause fatal internal head injuries while applying breaks abruptly.

A good helmet that meets required standards costs around Rs. 2,000.

These helmets are in light colours, made out of forms of plastic (not fibre), with extra thickness, with colourless visors and with tight fastening belts. After an accident the helmet should be thrown away even when it is not damaged, he added.