Road accidents world's ninth highest killer

Irangika Range

Six people die on an average each day and nearly 50 others suffer injuries from road accidents in Sri Lanka.

Each year, around 2,160 people lose their lives due to road accidents in Sri Lanka, Transport Minister Kumara Welgama said. It is also reported that 150 road accidents occur daily.

A majority of the accidents are the result of overtaking, speeding, drunk driving, mechanical defects in vehicles, negligence of pedestrians and motorists. Unfavourable road conditions and driver fatigue, driving without proper training and required fitness and using mobile phones while driving too contributed to road accidents.

Motorbikes, lorries, buses and three-wheelers are involved in a majority of the accidents.

The Minister said that most accidents occur due to human error and these accidents can be avoided by strict implementation of the traffic law. In addition, road surfaces and vehicles too are a cause for traffic accidents.

"That is why the government which appointed a Parliamentary Select committee to look into the alarming increase in traffic accidents has officially launched a Decade of Action for Road Safety," the Minister said.

He said, we hope to improve road safety and minimize risk from vehicles and also expand emergency services and build up road safety management through this action plan.

"It also calls for renewed legislation and enforcement measures, such as using helmets, seat belts, speeding and drunk driving," he said.

The Minster further said that road traffic injuries have become the leading killer of young people aged 15-29 years.

Almost 1.3 million people die each year on the world's roads, making this the ninth leading cause of death globally. In addition to these deaths, road accidents cause between 20 and 50 million non-fatal injuries every year in the world.

Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists collectively represent almost half of those killed on the roads all over the world.