One in five accident victims from three-wheeler crashes
One in five patients t reated at the National Hospital last year for road accidents were victims of three-wheeler drivers, the hospital said, amid concern at the toll of death and injury from such vehicles.
On Tuesday, four Air Force personnel from the Ratmalana base were killed when the three- wheeler in which they were travelling collided with a container lorry on the ColomboKandy road at Demmaladeniya in Warakapola.
Both vehicles had been travelling at high speed and the three-wheeler driver had fallen
asleep at the wheel and skidded into the opposite lane, Warakapola police said. The lorry driver is out on bail.
The incident reinforces a transport expert’s accusation that the authorities were turning a blind eye to the limitations of three-wheelers.
“Three- wheelers are not designed to travel on highways or used for long-distance travelling as they cannot manoeuvre quickly and hence are not traffic- friendly vehicles,” Senior Professor Amal Kumarage of the University of Moratuwa’s Department of Transport and Logistics said.
Despite constant calls for action on three-wheeler safety, accidents involving these vehicles decreased by less than 1 per cent between 2018 and 2019, traffic statistics show.
“The rising number of three-wheeler accidents has been a menace to the general public and the safety of the passengers are at risk,” Deputy Inspector- General of Police (Traffic) Muditha Pussella said. “We are the body involved in enforcement, but what about the functioning of the other two factors – engineering and education? This can’t be a blame game. The relevant authorities must work together and help reduce the number of accidents,” he said.
DIG Pussella emphasised that attention to road conditions and roadworthy vehicles was as important as enforcement of road rules. While conceding that speeding and overloading three-wheelers with passengers were the main causes of accidents the head of the All- Island Three- Wheeler Drivers Union, Lalith Dharmasekara, claimed professional drivers committed few errors and many accidents were caused by privately- owned three-wheelers.
While conceding that speeding and overloading three-wheelers with passengers were the main causes of accidents the head of the All-Island Three-Wheeler Drivers Union, Lalith Dharmasekara, claimed professional drivers committed few errors and many accidents were caused by privately-owned three-wheelers.