According to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year traditions, the country has now entered a New Year, and like every year, this New Year was welcomed with fresh hopes. However, people cannot live on mere hope, and what makes a New Year new depends on whether people renew their attitudes and habits and learn from mistakes and the past.
One such thing that needs to be relooked at is road accidents in Sri Lanka. A number of recent road accidents such as the accident in Passara which cost the lives of 14 persons emphasises the need to look into not only road safety measures that are in place, but also what practical aspects that are not covered by those measures. Most importantly, there is a pressing need to change drivers’ attitudes and practical skills.
According to the statistics issued by the National Council for Road Safety (NCRS), road accidents that occurred between 2016 and 2019 had resulted in a total of 12,030 deaths, while a total of 3,097 and 2,829 deaths had been reported in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Sri Lanka’s Southern Expressway became a topic of discussion in the last few days due to several passengers who travelled in a vehicle on the Expressway, who were seen to be seated on the window sills of the vehicle with their upper torsos exposed to the elements, outside the vehicle, and also a spate of vehicle collisions that occurred on 14 April between Gelanigama and Dodangoda.
Road accidents on expressways, normal roads 
Following the road accidents on the Southern Expressway on 14 April, the Police said that the main cause of these road accidents was the drivers’ failure to pay complete attention to the road and maintain adequate distance between vehicles.
Police Media Spokesman, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ajith Rohana, issuing a statement on 15 April, added that in such instances, if one’s vehicle is involved in a road accident, the vehicles travelling in front and behind one’s vehicle, are also at risk of facing accidents. He also added that the Police were planning to launch special operations, taking this situation into account, and that vehicular movement would be monitored.
He cautioned the public: “In order to prevent road accidents, when travelling on the Expressways, maintain adequate distance between two vehicles and also be mindful about the vehicle’s speed. In normal circumstances, the maximum speed limit of the Expressways is 100 kilometres per hour (kmph); however, when rainy climate prevails, adhere to the speed limits displayed on the screens near the Expressways. Also, when driving, the drivers should pay complete attention to the road, and refrain from using mobile phones or engaging in other activities such as listening to the radio; activities that may deviate their attention. In the event a driver requires any assistance while travelling on the Expressways, the drivers can use their emergency lights and stop the vehicle on the side of the road. Thereafter, they can contact the emergency numbers. Stopping vehicles to watch the surrounding area is an offence. Drivers are allowed to stop vehicles only in the event of an emergency; however, when doing so, it is compulsory to follow the aforesaid procedure.”
Speaking about the road accidents that took place on normal roads, DIG Rohana said that in a 24 hour period, 14 deaths caused by road accidents had been reported. He added that out of them, 10 took place on 14 April, while the other deaths were of people who had succumbed to injuries sustained in accidents that had occurred previously.
DIG Rohana explained: “On 14 April, a total of 121 road accidents took place. Of them, 12 road accidents took place on Expressways, causing minor injuries to one person, while 109 road accidents took place on other roads. Due to these road accidents, a total of 74 persons had sustained injuries.”
He added that these statistics were merely about the road accidents that were reported to the Police, and that the actual number of such incidents could be higher. Adding that the Police have investigated and taken legal action in this regard, he noted that the majority of these road accidents, 53, were caused by motorbikes, while in 30 cases, three wheelers had caused the accidents.
He advised the drivers travelling on normal roads to adhere to traffic laws, and be vigilant. Adding that under no circumstance should drivers operate vehicles under the influence, he noted that 758 drunk drivers had been arrested within a period of 24 hours, and that Police operations concerning such will continue. He added: “Drunk drivers will not be granted bail and their vehicles would not be released before producing them in courts. If a driver is found guilty of driving under the influence, his/her driving license may be suspended for a certain period or even annulled.”
Accidents during the festive season
When contacted, several authorities said that every year, more road accidents are reported during festive seasons, especially during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season, and that one of the main strategies to mitigate this situation would be launching programmes aimed at raising awareness among the public, especially drivers.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director of the Road Development Authority’s (RDA’s) Expressways Operation, Maintenance and Management Division, J.N. Lodwick said that among several reasons, drivers’ failure to drive carefully and in accordance with the instructions are the main reason for accidents on the Expressways. Adding that maintaining an adequate distance between two vehicles is extremely important, especially when a vehicle has to slow down for some reason, he said that the failure to maintain that distance has been identified as the main cause of accidents on Expressways.
He told The Morning: “We have identified several other reasons too. One such reason is the drivers’ tendency to ignore weariness/drowsiness, which is extremely dangerous. Also, drivers changing lanes abruptly and without maintaining safe distance is an issue. There are practical reasons as well. For example, when there is a rainy climate, even though the normal speed is 100 kmph, drivers are required to travel at a speed of 60 kmph, as there is a slight amount of water running on the surface of the road. If the tires are of exceptional quality, there would be no issue. But we cannot practically assure that. Drivers should pay attention to such details too.”
Speaking of the recent road accidents on Expressways, the Additional Director General (Assets Operation and Management) of the same Division, S. Opanayake, told The Morning that such accidents take place primarily due to congestion caused by the sudden increase of vehicles and due to driving recklessly and at excessive speeds.
Meanwhile, expressing similar sentiments, the Chairman of the National Council for Road Safety (NCRS), Anton De Mens, said that during the festive season, there is a rise in accidents and that awareness raising programmes are carried out regularly to address this situation. He stressed that out of the 12 months of the year, it is in April, which is the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season, that the highest number of accidents are reported.
“Despite the factors causing more road accidents on Expressways, careful, responsible driving could significantly reduce road accidents,” Opanayake stressed, adding that generally, around 80,000-85,000 vehicles use the Expressways on a given day, and that during the festive season, it drastically increases to around 120,000-140,000 vehicles.
He further said that seasonal traffic and the lack of discipline among drivers during the festive season are pressing issues, as most drivers fail to or do not pay adequate attention to instructions. This situation, according to Opanayake, has increased the risk of road accidents during the festive season.
Adding that discussions are underway to look into what steps can be taken to reduce road accidents, and that the main factors increasing accidents during this season have already been identified, De Mens said: “In addition to recklessness, during the festive season, people tend to use more intoxicants, mainly alcohol, and driving under the influence causes more accidents. Also, due to the more number of people (vehicles) using the roads during this season to travel to their native areas, it leads to more congestion in towns and as a result, congestion in rural towns is also on the rise. Driving at excessive speeds to save time or the failure to adhere to standard speed limits is also a major cause we have identified. Another reason that increases accidents on normal roads during the festive season is people tending to use small vehicles to transport more number of passengers, thereby exceeding the vehicle’s capacity. This issue is more prevalent when it comes to three wheelers, tractors and other small lorry like vehicles. It should be noted that it is not the three wheelers that are used for occupational purposes that cause more accidents, but those used as family vehicles. For example, if one has a three wheeler used for family transport purposes, the entire family gets into it, to visit their relatives. Most of the time, those who drive them are not professional drivers and they rarely use the vehicle, and therefore, they lack experience. This is a factor that causes more accidents. When there are more passengers than the vehicle can handle, there is a risk of losing control, which is a very risky act, and causes more accidents during the festive season”.
He further said that during the festive season, there is an increase in road accidents on normal roads as well.
According to a research study done on road accidents on the Southern Expressway, conducted by Engineer E. A. S. W. Edirisinghe of the University of Peradeniya, road accidents on the Southern Expressway are higher during school vacations, and that the highest number of accidents on both sides of the Expressway, occurs during holidays.
The research, titled ‘Analysis of Accidents on the Southern Expressway’, further noted that the Baddegama to Pinnaduwa section is the section with the highest rate of road accidents per million vehicles on the left hand side, and that Welipanna to Kurundugaha Hethekma and Pinnaduwa to Imaduwa have a high rate of accidents on the right hand side. With regard to road accidents on both the aforementioned sides, the research said that a large number of accidents have been detected in the Welipenna to Kurundugaha Hethekma stretch.
The research had been conducted on the basis of road accidents that took place on the Southern Expressway in 2014, from Kottawa to Matara. These accidents included 294 accidents on the left hand side from Kottawa to Matara and 309 road accidents from Matara to Kottawa, on the right hand side.
Reducing accidents
Emphasising that raising awareness among the public constantly is key to addressing the issue of accidents, Opanayake added that the managements of Expressways have taken steps to carry out daily awareness raising activities including informing the drivers of safety guidelines at the entrance and throughout the Expressways with regard to the speed limits and on maintaining distance, among other precautions. Also, according to him, in the event a special reason requiring the drivers to be extra careful arises, that prompt actions are taken to convey such to the drivers.
He added: “In addition to the Expressways management, the Police are also involved in ensuring public safety. For example, in order to discourage drivers from violating the safety guidelines and to detect those failing to adhere to those instructions, the Police have been deployed for speed detection activities.”
He noted that even though various awareness raising activities are in progress, there is always a need for more such programmes, and that the media also has a responsibility to extend its assistance for such endeavours.
When queried about whether the NCRS was planning to take any action with regard to the recent accidents on the Expressways, De Mens responded that the NCRS has so far not received information pertaining to them. However, in response to the same question, Lodwick said that even though there are no such initiatives so far, awareness raising activities are continuing.
Even though The Morning attempted to contact the Minister of Highways, Johnston Fernando, and the Highways Ministry Secretary, R.W.R. Premasiri, to inquire about any future steps to reduce accidents on the Expressways, they were not reachable.
Expressways and road accidents
According to researchers from around the world, a number of factors directly or indirectly cause expressway accidents, and excessive speed is the main reason among them. Accidents taking place due to high speed are more likely to cause deaths and severe injuries than accidents caused by other reasons, according to several researches.
In addition, average annual daily traffic (AADT), or the average daily traffic volume on roads where accidents occurred, according to researchers, has a direct impact on the occurrence of accidents, and this meant that the greater the volume of traffic, the greater the chance of the occurrence of accidents.
As far as the number of lanes is concerned, which is another factor indirectly contributing to the likelihood of road accidents on expressways, it affects the reduction in driver injuries and fatalities, by which a crash on a one lane road increases the risk of the severity of accidents resulting in injuries up to 81%, whereas if the accident occurs on a four to seven lane road, the risk of the severity of crash related fatalities may increase only by about 23%.
Researchers also say that driving during the midnight to dawn time period has a greater chance of accidents occurring, than driving during the day time. In addition, the chance of the occurrence of accidents at night is 2.31 times higher than the day time period.
Among other prominent factors affecting the likelihood of road accidents happening on expressways are, the prevailing weather conditions and the nature of the location.
Norway, Spain, Israel, Singapore, Maldives, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, San Marino (in Italy), the United Kingdom and Sweden are among the States that have the safest roads in the world.
Even though the increasing number of vehicles being used in the country cause more congestion, as those who spoke to The Morning emphasised, a considerable number of factors causing road accidents are preventable, and can be managed with proper guidance and awareness.
In addition to the existing Expressways, Sri Lanka is in the process of planning and building more expressways and connecting roads in the country, and more and more highways would be available for the public in the foreseeable future. However, while using them to ease the people’s travelling needs, public safety cannot be jeopardised.
Following the road accidents on the Southern Expressway on 14 April, the Police said that the main cause of these road accidents was the drivers’ failure to pay complete attention to the road and maintain adequate distance between vehicles.
Police Media Spokesman, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ajith Rohana, issuing a statement on 15 April, added that in such instances, if one’s vehicle is involved in a road accident, the vehicles travelling in front and behind one’s vehicle, are also at risk of facing accidents. He also added that the Police were planning to launch special operations, taking this situation into account, and that vehicular movement would be monitored.
He cautioned the public: “In order to prevent road accidents, when travelling on the Expressways, maintain adequate distance between two vehicles and also be mindful about the vehicle’s speed. In normal circumstances, the maximum speed limit of the Expressways is 100 kilometres per hour (kmph); however, when rainy climate prevails, adhere to the speed limits displayed on the screens near the Expressways. Also, when driving, the drivers should pay complete attention to the road, and refrain from using mobile phones or engaging in other activities such as listening to the radio; activities that may deviate their attention. In the event a driver requires any assistance while travelling on the Expressways, the drivers can use their emergency lights and stop the vehicle on the side of the road. Thereafter, they can contact the emergency numbers. Stopping vehicles to watch the surrounding area is an offence. Drivers are allowed to stop vehicles only in the event of an emergency; however, when doing so, it is compulsory to follow the aforesaid procedure.”
Speaking about the road accidents that took place on normal roads, DIG Rohana said that in a 24 hour period, 14 deaths caused by road accidents had been reported. He added that out of them, 10 took place on 14 April, while the other deaths were of people who had succumbed to injuries sustained in accidents that had occurred previously.
DIG Rohana explained: “On 14 April, a total of 121 road accidents took place. Of them, 12 road accidents took place on Expressways, causing minor injuries to one person, while 109 road accidents took place on other roads. Due to these road accidents, a total of 74 persons had sustained injuries.”
He added that these statistics were merely about the road accidents that were reported to the Police, and that the actual number of such incidents could be higher. Adding that the Police have investigated and taken legal action in this regard, he noted that the majority of these road accidents, 53, were caused by motorbikes, while in 30 cases, three wheelers had caused the accidents.
He advised the drivers travelling on normal roads to adhere to traffic laws, and be vigilant. Adding that under no circumstance should drivers operate vehicles under the influence, he noted that 758 drunk drivers had been arrested within a period of 24 hours, and that Police operations concerning such will continue. He added: “Drunk drivers will not be granted bail and their vehicles would not be released before producing them in courts. If a driver is found guilty of driving under the influence, his/her driving license may be suspended for a certain period or even annulled.”
Accidents during the festive season
When contacted, several authorities said that every year, more road accidents are reported during festive seasons, especially during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season, and that one of the main strategies to mitigate this situation would be launching programmes aimed at raising awareness among the public, especially drivers.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director of the Road Development Authority’s (RDA’s) Expressways Operation, Maintenance and Management Division, J.N. Lodwick said that among several reasons, drivers’ failure to drive carefully and in accordance with the instructions are the main reason for accidents on the Expressways. Adding that maintaining an adequate distance between two vehicles is extremely important, especially when a vehicle has to slow down for some reason, he said that the failure to maintain that distance has been identified as the main cause of accidents on Expressways.
He told The Morning: “We have identified several other reasons too. One such reason is the drivers’ tendency to ignore weariness/drowsiness, which is extremely dangerous. Also, drivers changing lanes abruptly and without maintaining safe distance is an issue. There are practical reasons as well. For example, when there is a rainy climate, even though the normal speed is 100 kmph, drivers are required to travel at a speed of 60 kmph, as there is a slight amount of water running on the surface of the road. If the tires are of exceptional quality, there would be no issue. But we cannot practically assure that. Drivers should pay attention to such details too.”
Speaking of the recent road accidents on Expressways, the Additional Director General (Assets Operation and Management) of the same Division, S. Opanayake, told The Morning that such accidents take place primarily due to congestion caused by the sudden increase of vehicles and due to driving recklessly and at excessive speeds.
Meanwhile, expressing similar sentiments, the Chairman of the National Council for Road Safety (NCRS), Anton De Mens, said that during the festive season, there is a rise in accidents and that awareness raising programmes are carried out regularly to address this situation. He stressed that out of the 12 months of the year, it is in April, which is the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season, that the highest number of accidents are reported.
“Despite the factors causing more road accidents on Expressways, careful, responsible driving could significantly reduce road accidents,” Opanayake stressed, adding that generally, around 80,000-85,000 vehicles use the Expressways on a given day, and that during the festive season, it drastically increases to around 120,000-140,000 vehicles.
He further said that seasonal traffic and the lack of discipline among drivers during the festive season are pressing issues, as most drivers fail to or do not pay adequate attention to instructions. This situation, according to Opanayake, has increased the risk of road accidents during the festive season.
Adding that discussions are underway to look into what steps can be taken to reduce road accidents, and that the main factors increasing accidents during this season have already been identified, De Mens said: “In addition to recklessness, during the festive season, people tend to use more intoxicants, mainly alcohol, and driving under the influence causes more accidents. Also, due to the more number of people (vehicles) using the roads during this season to travel to their native areas, it leads to more congestion in towns and as a result, congestion in rural towns is also on the rise. Driving at excessive speeds to save time or the failure to adhere to standard speed limits is also a major cause we have identified. Another reason that increases accidents on normal roads during the festive season is people tending to use small vehicles to transport more number of passengers, thereby exceeding the vehicle’s capacity. This issue is more prevalent when it comes to three wheelers, tractors and other small lorry like vehicles. It should be noted that it is not the three wheelers that are used for occupational purposes that cause more accidents, but those used as family vehicles. For example, if one has a three wheeler used for family transport purposes, the entire family gets into it, to visit their relatives. Most of the time, those who drive them are not professional drivers and they rarely use the vehicle, and therefore, they lack experience. This is a factor that causes more accidents. When there are more passengers than the vehicle can handle, there is a risk of losing control, which is a very risky act, and causes more accidents during the festive season”.
He further said that during the festive season, there is an increase in road accidents on normal roads as well.
According to a research study done on road accidents on the Southern Expressway, conducted by Engineer E. A. S. W. Edirisinghe of the University of Peradeniya, road accidents on the Southern Expressway are higher during school vacations, and that the highest number of accidents on both sides of the Expressway, occurs during holidays.
The research, titled ‘Analysis of Accidents on the Southern Expressway’, further noted that the Baddegama to Pinnaduwa section is the section with the highest rate of road accidents per million vehicles on the left hand side, and that Welipanna to Kurundugaha Hethekma and Pinnaduwa to Imaduwa have a high rate of accidents on the right hand side. With regard to road accidents on both the aforementioned sides, the research said that a large number of accidents have been detected in the Welipenna to Kurundugaha Hethekma stretch.
The research had been conducted on the basis of road accidents that took place on the Southern Expressway in 2014, from Kottawa to Matara. These accidents included 294 accidents on the left hand side from Kottawa to Matara and 309 road accidents from Matara to Kottawa, on the right hand side.
Reducing accidents
Emphasising that raising awareness among the public constantly is key to addressing the issue of accidents, Opanayake added that the managements of Expressways have taken steps to carry out daily awareness raising activities including informing the drivers of safety guidelines at the entrance and throughout the Expressways with regard to the speed limits and on maintaining distance, among other precautions. Also, according to him, in the event a special reason requiring the drivers to be extra careful arises, that prompt actions are taken to convey such to the drivers.
He added: “In addition to the Expressways management, the Police are also involved in ensuring public safety. For example, in order to discourage drivers from violating the safety guidelines and to detect those failing to adhere to those instructions, the Police have been deployed for speed detection activities.”
He noted that even though various awareness raising activities are in progress, there is always a need for more such programmes, and that the media also has a responsibility to extend its assistance for such endeavours.
When queried about whether the NCRS was planning to take any action with regard to the recent accidents on the Expressways, De Mens responded that the NCRS has so far not received information pertaining to them. However, in response to the same question, Lodwick said that even though there are no such initiatives so far, awareness raising activities are continuing.
Even though The Morning attempted to contact the Minister of Highways, Johnston Fernando, and the Highways Ministry Secretary, R.W.R. Premasiri, to inquire about any future steps to reduce accidents on the Expressways, they were not reachable.
Expressways and road accidents
According to researchers from around the world, a number of factors directly or indirectly cause expressway accidents, and excessive speed is the main reason among them. Accidents taking place due to high speed are more likely to cause deaths and severe injuries than accidents caused by other reasons, according to several researches.
In addition, average annual daily traffic (AADT), or the average daily traffic volume on roads where accidents occurred, according to researchers, has a direct impact on the occurrence of accidents, and this meant that the greater the volume of traffic, the greater the chance of the occurrence of accidents.
As far as the number of lanes is concerned, which is another factor indirectly contributing to the likelihood of road accidents on expressways, it affects the reduction in driver injuries and fatalities, by which a crash on a one lane road increases the risk of the severity of accidents resulting in injuries up to 81%, whereas if the accident occurs on a four to seven lane road, the risk of the severity of crash related fatalities may increase only by about 23%.
Researchers also say that driving during the midnight to dawn time period has a greater chance of accidents occurring, than driving during the day time. In addition, the chance of the occurrence of accidents at night is 2.31 times higher than the day time period.
Among other prominent factors affecting the likelihood of road accidents happening on expressways are, the prevailing weather conditions and the nature of the location.
Norway, Spain, Israel, Singapore, Maldives, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, San Marino (in Italy), the United Kingdom and Sweden are among the States that have the safest roads in the world.
Even though the increasing number of vehicles being used in the country cause more congestion, as those who spoke to The Morning emphasised, a considerable number of factors causing road accidents are preventable, and can be managed with proper guidance and awareness.
In addition to the existing Expressways, Sri Lanka is in the process of planning and building more expressways and connecting roads in the country, and more and more highways would be available for the public in the foreseeable future. However, while using them to ease the people’s travelling needs, public safety cannot be jeopardised.