Driving in Sri Lanka

I am a foreigner living here since November 2009 and am really fed up with the driving style in this country.

Although this is a beautiful country, it is also pleasant if you can reach your destination in safety and not have to hold your breath all the time when you are driving to see a bus coming at you full speed at the wrong side of the road!

I tried to drive here myself in the beginning but gave up after one week, I got so upset with the buses coming straight at me and tooting loud horn and three wheelers squeezing their vehicle into every little gap they can find. Sometimes these reckless drivers also have children and even infants as passengers in their backseats.

How foolish to risk the lives of these young ones just because they are impatient and need to get fast from one place to another.

Then there are bikes and helmets. Sometimes whole families up to two adults and two children are all on one bike, extremely dangerous. Maybe these families cannot afford a car, but to risk themselves like this is dangerous. There are parents that wear helmets but don't put a helmet on the child's head. The most precious thing to protect is the head of this child, how foolish to risk this. Why don't the authorities make any laws and make it mandatory to wear helmets?

Every time I go out I am scared because of these impatient selfish bus drivers who are careless about people's lives. Just because their vehicle is big they think they can just take charge of the road and create their own rules. Another point is they squeeze passengers into their buses like sardines just to get a few more rupees. It's so disgusting to see the people at rush hours totally packed together.

I believe this country has about 30 deadly accidents a month. A shocking high figure.

How to bring a change? Even at the post office they can't form a line and wait for their turn. So this mentality is in the people when they drive: impatience and putting yourself first.

I have children and for their safety I am considering to leave the country soon, it's very dangerous here on the roads.

-Ronald Boon