AMW, Traffic Police HQ promote safer Sri Lankan roads

Sri Lankan road related accidents have contributed to the death toll in the country at higher and higher rates each year, claiming the lives of innocent by-standers, pedestrians and motorists, leaving many more crippled and injured.

Approximately 150 accidents are reported daily which causes to loss of five to six lives while over 40,000 people have died in Sri Lanka in road traffic accidents in the last 30 year period. In this light, President Mahinda Rajapaksa called for a Decade of Action for Road Safety and National Road Safety by way of a conference in May this year with almost 650 delegates in attendance; each ready to show their commitment and support to create awareness amongst people on the magnitude of road related accidents.

Recognising this as a national issue, AMW together with the Sri Lanka Police have come together to support this initiative, with the objective of making the roads and streets a safer place for all.  The police have identified ‘black spots’ – locations where the highest number of accidents happen and have planned various initiatives to ensure the programme’s success.

The essence of these initiatives, call on every citizen of the nation to play an active role in helping maintain the smooth flow of traffic and safety on the roads.

At heart, each individual needs to understand the value of the lives of the people they encounter on the roads, pledging to keep not only themselves safe but also protect the rights and safety of the general public.

Under the first phase of this initiative, certain areas within the, Kandy, Galle Kurunegala Kalaniya, Anuradapura, Aluthgama, Kegalle, Panadura, Nugegoda, and Balangoda areas were identified as these potential black spots. In these locations, AMW and the Sri Lanka Police planned and implemented a series of educational programmes for O/Level and A/Level students on various aspects of road safety. 500 traffic warden jackets were also distributed among 60 schools.

The program also engaged with parents, school van drivers and pedestrians. A total of 25 thousand people participated in the programme. A key reason why schools were targeted was to inculcate these habits amongst the next generation and also have a spill over effect with the message being carried home to their parents and other family members. This was supplemented by mock demonstrations on various road accidents and the prevention of such accidents that were conducted by Traffic Police personnel, with the most recent demonstration being carried out at Lindsay Balika Vidyalaya – Bambalapitiya Junction.

As a follow-up AMW and Sri Lanka Police will also extend these programmes to the general public in an effort to educate each Sri Lankan citizen on the streets of the hazards of road rage, intolerance etc. which all result in unnecessary accidents.

The primary goal is to foster the need within each person to want to make the roads safer for themselves and their fellow motorists and pedestrians.  Under the Action Plan for the Decade, programmes such as these hope to not merely reduce accidents within the specified time frame, but moreover to help build a nation with safe streets for all. The Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011-2020 was officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. Globally 1.3 million people die as a result of road accidents amounting to over 3000 deaths each day, and majority of them affected are pedestrians. Road traffic accidents are among the three leading causes of death for people between five and 44 years of age. This initiative, combines road rules, cultural practices and ethical nuances to reach the hearts of motorists and pedestrians, inculcating the habit of road safety within them at all times.