Four road deaths a day during last five years

Ridma Dissanayake

A total of 11,953 fatal accidents and 28,235 cases of critically injured were reported during 2007 to 2011 accounting three or four road deaths on average during this period, Inspector General of Police N K Illangakoon said.

Damage to property was also enormous although the public pay more attention to the casualty figure in road accidents, he added. The increase in the volume of motor vehicles and speeding has led to the surge in road accidents.

According to Police reports, the number of motor vehicles increased by 500,000 in 2011.

Luxury vehicles too contributed to the rise in road accidents due to drivers not having a proper perception of the speed due to the high quality of such vehicles and losing control. The lightness of latest vehicle models are also accident prone, the IGP said.

The Police Department has taken a number of measures to ensure the safety of the public against road accidents and reduce accidents. IGP Ilangakoon urged the public to follow road rules and extend their assistance to the Police .