Accident statistics for 2008:

Wheels take 2,312 lives

Private buses, lorries and motorcyclists responsible for majority deaths:

Rafik JALALDEEN

Private buses, lorries and motorcyclists are responsible for most of the fatal accidents that had been reported in 2008.

Out of a total number of 30,420 accidents reported in 2008 2,157 were fatal and of them 674,349 and 232 fatal accidents were caused by motorcycles, lorries and private buses respectively.

The traffic police stated that the majority of deaths were caused to pedestrians in 2008. Over 625 pedestrians were killed out of a total of 2,312 last year.

“Pedestrians have to be responsible for their destiny. When jaywalkers come out to the road, drivers cannot control their vehicles. On the other hand, some were killed by hit and run vehicles,” they said.

The Traffic Police noted that the main reasons for the accidents were reckless driving, negligence, indiscipline, ignorance and driving under the influence of liquor and violating traffic rules. It was emphasized that most accidents were reported along the Colombo- Negombo main road particularly in Kandana, Seeduwa, Wattala and Ja-Ela areas. The main reason for the accidents in the mentioned areas is lack of visibility at night along the road. “The traffic police had complained about it to the Ceylon Electricity Board but no action has been taken so far,” officials said. When drivers pass the city limit specially from Nittambuwa and Warakapola along the Colombo- Kandy main road (A1) and Colombo- Kurunegala main road (A6), they increase their speed resulting in many accidents.

Lack of speed limit notices on the roads prevents drivers from being charged for speeding. A trishaw could be driven inside and outside city limit maximum of 40 kmph. Heavy and light vehicles could be driven at maximum of 50kmph within the city limit.

Heavy vehicles could speed up to a maximum of 60 kmph outside the city while light vehicles could speed up to a maximum 70 kmph.

It is also proved that most of the accidents took place on Mondays and Sundays and during rush hours between 8.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. on weekdays.

However, police are awaiting for speed limit boards to be set up and placed by the respective Provincial Councils and the Road Development Authorities to execute the process of charging drivers who speed dangerously.

Installing Close Circuit Television cameras (CCTV) in junctions and other places is one of the vital tools that can be used to control speeding and ignoring signal lights.

“If we set up CCTV cameras at signal lights, we can nab drivers breaching the rule and charge them for that,” the official said.

The police are taking action to install the CCTV cameras on traffic lights in the city.

To decrease the number of accidents and minimize tragedies, the traffic police has launched several awareness programs among drivers as well as among schoolchildren. It has also deployed traffic patrols from time to time to detect road violence.

Meanwhile, the traffic police noted that they have been given power to arrest drivers for certain road offences such as forged licence and national identity cards, driving without number plates and driving under the influence of liquor under Act No. 08 of 2009 (amendment).