Lawmaker inaction contributing to deadly road toll
Worthless law makers and incompetent driving schools are among the main contributory factors to deadly road traffic accidents, according to academics who study transport.
So far this year, 1,481 have perished and most are motorcycle riders.
The total number of road traffic accidents this year is 13,246. Most caused non grievous injuries.
T. Sivakumar, a senior professor at University of Moratuwa, says that driving schools should instill road discipline and emotional intelligence in learners.
Emotional intelligence is vital because a driver should get used to reacting rapidly to avoid road traffic accidents.
“The main cause of road accidents is speeding and this is because there is no discipline.’’
He suggests reforming the driving license system and increasing the learning hours at driving schools.
“The driving license we provide is like a license to kill,” Prof Sivakumar told the Sunday Times. Drivers are not well educated about road traffic rules and road discipline.
Accidents can also take place because of defects by users — vehicles,
drivers and pedestrians — or lack in infrastructure (road structure and designs).
Road accidents caused due to vehicle defects have dropped due to technologies such as automatic breaking systems.
Prof Sivakumar proposes that driving schools be asked to increase the teaching hours and to follow the ‘3E approach’ — engineering, education and enforcement.
As for engineering, the regulatory institution should check and audit the road designs and structures. Education involves educating people about road safety and discipline, while enforcement is about the laws. Punishments related to road traffic offences should be strictly enforced.
He also raised the uncertainty related to punishments for those causing fatal accidents.
Prof Amal Kumarage, a senior professor in the engineering faculty of Moratuwa University blames the public and Government institutions. Road safety has not been treated as a priority.
In other countries, road safety rules are taught from primary school, he said.
The world loses 1.35 million people a year from road accidents and Sri Lanka contributes with 3,000 deaths.
“When you loose 3,000 people for a year, if we take it for two decades it would make up almost the number of people who lost their live during the last stages of the civil war,” Prof Kumarage said.
Prof Kumarage also said that the Government and political parties should come together to tackle road safety.
Senior Statistician Prof. Sarath Peiris said the police also need to educate people without focusing only on fines.
Among serious accidents recently was the one in Mawanella where a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus was seen overtaking another SLTB bus at a bend to the right and crashing into a private bus. One person died and more than 30 were injured. The Mawanella Police said the two bus drivers were not injured. They were arrested and remanded until November 11.