Sri Lanka’s Journey to Road Safety
In Sri Lanka, the estimated annual road crash deaths per capita is the highest among its immediate neighbors in South Asia.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Data shows every year 38,000 crashes cause 3,000 deaths and 8,000 injuries
- Road crash fatalities and injuries could cost countries like Sri Lanka between 3-5% of their GDP annually
- $2 billion additional investment needed to combat road safety crisis
Priyantha Fernando* (34) was heading home after a typical day’s work when his motorcycle crashed into a lorry. His wife and two children saw their lives changed instantly when they lost the family’s sole breadwinner. Unfortunately, this tragic and unnecessary loss of life is all too common in Sri Lanka.
The estimated annual road crash deaths per capita is the highest among its immediate neighbors in South Asia and five times that of the best performing countries in the world.
High road crash fatality and injury rates on Sri Lanka’s roads are undermining the economic growth and progress made over the past decade on reducing poverty and boosting prosperity. Over two thirds of road crash victims are productive, working age adults between 15-64 years of age.
This situation is exacerbated by the rapid growth in vehicle ownership - 67% between 2011 and 2018 - and the diversity of motorized and non-motorized traffic of varying sizes and speeds. This leaves vulnerable road users without adequate protection – more than 90% of crash victims are pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
If this trend continues, as expected, crash fatalities and injuries will steadily climb— unless urgently required measures are implemented.
This is an issue vital to the country’s health, well-being, human capital, and economic growth.
More than 90% of crash victims in Sri Lanka are pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
Poor road safety performance in Sri Lanka is a symptom of underinvestment in targeted initiatives.
It will take long-term commitment and sustained vision from the Government of Sri Lanka for this investment to be effective and improve road safety performance on a sustainable basis.
Initiatives must be systematic and at scale, with institutional capacity being strengthened, to ensure successful delivery:
- Strengthening safe infrastructure design to ensure the protection of all road users and inclusion of roadside communities.
- Establishing robust vehicle and driver licensing systems that are accessible by law enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities before the full power of safety compliance regimes can be exercised.
- Facilitating inclusive road user policies and integrated land use/transport planning to ensure urban and rural roads are safe and accessible for all road users.
- Prioritizing speed management in all planning and policy considerations addressing infrastructure, vehicle, and road user safety issues.
These issues undermine capacity to develop a results focused strategy and ensure its adequate coordination and implementation. More effective, efficient, and scaled-up initiatives are required to define good road safety practice and provide a blueprint for action.
It will also contribute to other sustainable mobility goals including improved transport productivity, universal accessibility, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and reduced local air and noise pollution.
Positive signs of government action are emerging with the proposed establishment of the National Road Safety Commission. Efforts are also underway to establish a national road crash database. These proposed actions will pave the way for sustained road safety and people-centric development in Sri Lanka.
*Names changed to protect privacy
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Sri Lankan Journal of Applied Statistics
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Factors Influencing for Severity of Road Traffic Accidents in Sri Lanka
- D. S. Shashikala Kodithuwakku
- T. S. G. Peiris
- Fatal accidents
- Road traffic accidents
- Severity of accident
Publication: Delivering Road Safety in Sri Lanka: Leadership Priorities and Initiatives to 2030
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Data shows every year 38,000 crashes cause 3,000 deaths and 8,000 injuries in Sri Lanka. Road crash fatalities and injuries could cost countries like Sri Lanka between 3-5% of their GDP annually. The country needs $2 billion additional investment to combat road safety crisis.
High road crash fatality and injury rates on Sri Lanka’s roads are undermining the economic growth and progress made over the past decade on reducing poverty and boosting prosperity. Estimated annual road crash deaths per capita in Sri Lanka are twice the average rate in high-income countries and fi ve times that of the best performing countries
Abstract. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a significant public health concern worldwide, including in Sri Lanka. With the rising population and increasing number of vehicles on the roads...
The purpose of this study is to disclose accident-related indices and investigate the extent to which the road accidents impact on the economic performance of Sri Lanka during the period from 1977 to 2016. Annual time-series data are used to evaluate the accident indices for econometric analysis.
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determine the significant human factors associated with RTAs in Sri Lanka using data on RTAs during 2005 – 2019 obtained from the Department of Police, Sri Lanka, and suggest some solutions to reduce RTAs. The six reasons for major RTAs are overtaking, diversion, speed driving, alcohol consumption
As a developing country, Sri Lanka also hugely affected by road accidents. Road accidents cause a significant number of deaths yearly in Sri Lanka. In 2018, over 35,752 road...
Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are one of the most prominent public health problems as it is a leading cause of death by injury and all deaths globally. This study therefore intended determine the factors associated with severity of RTAs in Sri Lanka (2005 - 2019) based on data driven decision making (DDDM) which would be useful for decision makers.
Abstract. High road crash fatality and injury rates on Sri Lanka’s roads are undermining the economic growth and progress made over the past decade on reducing poverty and boosting prosperity. Estimated annual road crash deaths per capita in Sri Lanka are twice the average rate in high-income countries and fi ve times that of the best ...