Death stalks the streets

Tuesday, 31 January 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The rising death toll via road accidents, with an unprecedented 17 in 24 hours and 156 in the month of January alone, is shocking. The new calamity raised alarm bells to a new pitch and it seems as though a new war is being fought on Sri Lanka’s streets. Reckless driving, exhaustion, driving under the influence of liquor and speeding are the reasons for most of these mishaps.

Police Spokesman Ajith Rohana was quoted saying that two were killed and two seriously injured when two motorbikes collided head-on at the 16th mile post area on the Talawa-Kekirawa main road. In Payagala, two cyclists were killed when they were knocked down by a speeding car, which then crashed into a motorbike. However the motorcyclist managed to escape with minor injuries. Trouble is now brewing in that area after it was discovered that a local politician’s relative was the driver and a tense situation was reported between the people and Police of that area.

In Ruwanwella, a 68-year-old motorcyclist was killed when the motorbike he was riding collided head-on with a lorry. A 62-year-old woman was killed when the car she was riding in lost control and went off the road in Ragama. In Wattala, a trishaw knocked down a 62-year-old pedestrian and in Mirigama a speeding van knocked down a 41-year-old pedestrian who was on his way home after going to the grocery. Another similar incident took place in Mirigama after a van knocked down a pedestrian a few hours after the first incident was reported in the area.

Police said that a 52-year-old pedestrian was killed when he was knocked down by a bus in Negombo and a 19-year-old youth was killed when he was knocked down by a lorry in Kuliyapitiya while he was crossing the road. In Kurunegala, a 63-year-old person was killed when the motorbike he was riding went off the road and crashed into a concrete fence.

A 79-year-old woman was knocked down by a van in Akuressa and a 70-year-old woman was killed when she was knocked down by a bus in the Matara town. In Ahungalla, a 27-year-old motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries when the motorbike he was riding on collided with a lorry head-on. Police said a 47-year-old person was killed when the tractor he was driving toppled in the Mahiyangana area.

Merely reading about these incidents in one day alone causes chills like few horror movies do. The high number of pedestrians being killed is a serious cause for concern as well.

Sri Lanka’s roads have become danger zones and the new battle is being fought all around us. Drivers and pedestrians need to be more vigilant and conscious of their actions while the Police needs to be more aware of preventing accidents through better enforcement of the law. In many instances the Police, even when on the scene, does not take action against traffic offenders and the law needs to be strengthened and enforced universally.