Among 15 to 29 age group:

Road accidents No 1 killer in Sri Lanka

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

National Council for Road Safety statistics reveals that road accidents is the number one killer among people in the 15 to 29 age group in Sri Lanka.

It is predicted that road accidents globally will cause the deaths of 1.9 million people annually by 2020. The number of deaths caused globally by road accidents daily at present is 1.3 million.

Half of those killed by road accidents are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. More than 90 percent fatalities occur in low income and middle income countries, National Council for Road Safety sources state.

Nearly 150 accidents are reported daily resulting in five to six deaths. The three decades from 1977 to 2007 recorded 1,120,848 accidents, 40,000 deaths, 370,000 injuries and 68,440 serious injuries in Sri Lanka. More than three fourths of deaths during this period were of people in the 22-25 age group, sources said. However, sources reveal that road accident numbers decreased by more than 50 percent in the past four decades in some countries due to commitment, implementation of stringent road rules and the creation of a culture of safety.