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Reducing road accidents: Study proposes driver discipline programmes to fix bad driving

21 Apr 2021

A significant number of road traffic accidents are potentially preventable, and therefore the regular updating and reminding about driving discipline is needed in order to rectify erroneous driving techniques which are responsible for the majority of such accidents, a study has proposed. It adds that strict enforcement of the law against drivers under the influence of alcohol, done through random checks for alcohol use and high fines for those drivers who drive under the influence of intoxicants, is essential in order to control driving after the use of alcohol.  These observations and recommendations were made in a research paper titled “Characteristics of patients admitted due to road traffic accidents to the General Hospital, Matara”, authored by W.A.K. Weerawardena, S.C. Ubayasirinarayana, W.A.C. Harindra, M.S.C. Buddhika, and I. Weththasinghe and published recently in the Journal of the Ruhunu Clinical Society. The study goes on to say that the significance of the use of safety equipment when riding motorcycles should be highlighted, including through the media. Road traffic accidents result in significant mortality and morbidity and are also associated with reduced productivity, material damage, and disability. Road traffic accidents, the researchers claim, are a leading cause of death in children and young adults between the ages of five and 29 years. Human factors that are the main contributing factors for road traffic accidents include both driving-related behaviour (drinking and driving, speeding, and traffic law violations) and impaired skills (lack of attention, exhaustion, and physical disabilities). Other causes for road traffic accidents, according to the 2011 study titled “Road traffic accidents in Eastern Sri Lanka: An analysis of admissions and outcome” by P. Jeepura and S. Pirasath, include poor vehicle design, the high speed of vehicles, poor roads, an increased number of vehicles on given areas of roads, the mechanical failure of vehicles, overloading, poor lights, animals crossing the roads, inadequate traffic law enforcement, and the delayed implementation of road safety measures. In Sri Lanka, the increase in motorisation within the setting of poor road infrastructure has caused a large increase in road traffic accidents. Although the number of road traffic accidents has decreased since 2003, road traffic fatalities, as per the “Road traffic crashes, injury, and fatality trends in Sri Lanka: 1938-2013” by S.D. Dharmaratne, A.U. Jayatilleke, and A.C. Jayatilleke, have not shown a similar reduction. In Sri Lanka, during 2009-2015, according to the “Epidemiology of road traffic crashes reported in the Kurunegala Police Division” by P.G. Amarasinghe and S.D. Dharmaratne, the number of road traffic accidents increased by 15% while deaths increased by 17%. The number of road traffic crashes increased from 61.2 to 195.9, injuries from 35.1 to 98.6, and fatalities from three to 10.8 per year per a population of 100,000 from 1938 to 2011, according to Dharmaratne, A.U. Jayatilleke, and A.C. Jayatilleke. In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 2,000 deaths and 20,000 injuries per year due to road traffic crashes. Police statistics for 2011, as per the “Road Traffic Crashes and Built Environment Analysis of Crash Hotspots based on local police data in Galle” by V. De Silva, H. Tharindra, J.R.N. Vissoci, L. Andrade, B.C. Mallawaarachchi, T. Ostbye and C.A. Staton, indicate that the most common vehicles involved in such are motorcycles, cars, and three-wheelers. This research by Weerawardena, Ubayasirinarayana, Harindra, Buddhika, and Weththasinghe was conducted in order to gather statistics related to road traffic accidents in the Matara area. There were 394 patients. There were 264 (67%) drivers, 87 (22%) passengers, and 43 (11%) pedestrians involved. The majority (323 – 82%) were males. The average age in males was 39 years (range five to 85) and in females, 41 years (range eight to 83). Vehicles involved were motorcycles (238 – 62%), three-wheelers (63 – 16%), buses (12 – 3%), bicycles (40 – 10%), and cars (15 – 4%). There were also seven vans, three tractors, two lorries, two ambulances, three cabs, and two containers, amounting to 5%. These values are comparable to similar studies done in Anuradhapura – “Analysis of patients admitted with a history of road traffic accidents to Surgical Unit B of the Teaching Hospital, Anuradhapura” by W.A.K. Weerawardena, T.D.B. Illangasingha, I.J. Piyadasa, S.M. Rathnayaka, W.T.D.U.P.L. Subaweera, and G.A.L. Niroshana – where in 2013, erroneous driving techniques accounted for 47% of accidents, as well as in Polonnaruwa – “Road Traffic Accidents in the Polonnaruwa District: Analysis of patients admitted to a surgical unit” by W.A.K. Weerawardena, T.G.H.L.M. Thannegedara, H.G.V. Priyantha, P.A.C.G.S. Chandrasiri, and W.S.I. Disanayaka – in 2017, where erroneous driving techniques accounted for 55% of the accidents. The causes of the accidents were one's own personal erroneous driving (160 – 44%) which includes 20 (5%) cases of high-speed driving, driving on the wrong side, wrong overtaking technique, taking bends in the roads at acute angles, and the inability to react quickly to apply the brake system; erroneous driving techniques on the part of the opposing vehicle (107 – 30%); animals crossing the roads (41 – 11%); mechanical failure (40 – 11%); poor roads (12 – 3%); and persons crossing the roads (3 – 1%). A total of 156 (40%) of these incidents had taken place between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The combined rate of erroneous driving techniques (74%), both one’s own and the other’s, was clearly, the researchers explained, the main reason for the accidents. It is therefore necessary to arrange, from time to time, a series of driving discipline teaching programmes for drivers, the researchers noted. This can be arranged when driving licenses are renewed by trained staff. The researchers further observed that regular driver training programmes are necessary owing to the availability and use of new technology such as the mobile phone when driving. Slower reaction times, not keeping to the lane while driving, indecisiveness, and reduced driving performance can be observed with the use of mobile phones while driving, the authors observed. According to the “Public health crisis of road traffic accidents in India: Risk factor assessment and recommendations on prevention on behalf of the Academy of Family Physicians of India” by R. Pal, A. Ghosh, R. Kumar, S. Galwankar, S.K. Paul, S. Pal, D. Sinha, A.K. Jaiswal, L.R. Moscote-Salazar, and A. Agrawal, the risk of accidents is four times more likely, even with the use of the hands-free mobile phone when driving. A total of 92 (23%) patients had consumed alcohol. There were 18.6% victims with alcohol consumption in the study conducted in Polonnaruwa. As far as alcohol consumption and road traffic accidents were concerned, it accounted for 32% in the study conducted in Anuradhapura and 25% in the study conducted in Batticaloa in 2011. A blood alcohol level as low as 0.04 g per decilitre (g/dL) increases the risk of road accidents significantly by impairing decision-making in foreseeing the danger. A blood alcohol level of 0.05 g/dL results in 1.83 times a higher risk. It also causes, according to the “Alcohol and road traffic injuries in South Asia: Challenges for prevention” and “The effect of alcohol on the incidence, pattern, severity, and outcome of traumatic brain injury” by G. Gururaj, difficulty in diagnosis, management, recovery, and prognosis in road traffic accidents. In India, random breath testing at police checkpoints and both breath and blood testing of all drivers involved in accidents are conducted. However, due to logistical deficiencies in many situations, the checking is less than expected. Young or beginner drivers under the influence of alcohol are prone to road traffic accidents. Indian researchers in a recent study – “Alcohol and road safety: Investigation and legal aspects” by A.K. Jaiswal, S. Krishna, A. Agarwal, A. Ghosh, and R. Pal) – concluded that alcohol-related road traffic accidents are a foremost threat to civilisation due to the premature loss of lives with negative socioeconomic effects on families and society that must be prevented by way of a holistic approach. In this study, a total of 40 (17%) motorcyclists were without helmets. This value was 39% in Anuradhapura, 22% in Polonnaruwa, and 35% in Batticaloa. The United Nations Motorcycle Helmet Study (2016) estimated that motorcycle riders have a 26-time higher probability of death in road accidents than four-wheelers. The correct wearing of the best available helmet improves survival by 42% and reduces injuries by 69%, as per R. Pal et al. The severity of traumatic brain injury can be reduced with the proper use of helmets; therefore, the researchers emphasised that strict law enforcement is necessary to make all riders use helmets. According to the study, the body areas affected were the head (185 – 47%), limbs/extremities (243 – 62%), chest (74 – 19%), and abdomen (68 – 17%). A total of 62% of the patients had trauma to the limbs and extremities with 46 fractures. Motorcycle riders should, the researchers noted, be encouraged to therefore use safety equipment to cover the hands, head, and lower leg areas as preventive strategies, as it will reduce posttrauma morbidity. “Poor visibility of the vehicles and pedestrians are a recognised cause for accidents. It is known that the majority of fatal road injuries occur in the dark. Visual reaction times are substantially longer under adverse, low visibility conditions than under optimal conditions, leading in turn to increased stopping distances when driving,” the authors observed. The visibility of drivers, the researchers elaborated, can therefore be increased by fixing reflectors on vehicles and wearing yellow or white helmets and bright-coloured clothing at night. Running the lights of vehicles in the daytime can also increase visibility, they pointed out. Increasing the visibility of the pedestrians by reflective clothing also increases road safety in low light situations. In this study, a total of 11% of the accidents were due to animals crossing the roads. The value for the same was 18% in Polonnaruwa. Therefore, the researchers proposed that when animals reach roads, the owners of these animals, if they are dogs and cattle, should be fined under strict laws. The mechanical failure of vehicles was responsible in 11% of the cases. The value for the same was 6% in Polonnaruwa and 7% in Anuradhapura. The failure of the brake system was the main mechanical failure. The authors, therefore, suggested that strict law enforcement is necessary to check the mechanical system of each vehicle, from time to time, and that only certified vehicles should be given permission to drive. Other remedial measures put forward by the researchers include road designing, enforcing speed limits including speed control bumps, the strategic installation of cameras, introducing traffic calming measures, and conducting regular awareness programmes.


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