About 100 to 105 road accidents happen daily and one occurs in every six hours. Tackling this growing phenomenon has become a burning problem with an estimated 40 lakhs of registered vehicles creating a vehicular influx, according to the Director, Traffic Control and Road Safety, Senior Superintendent of Police, K. Arseratnam. As many as 600 motorcycles are registered daily with the Registrar of Motor Vehicles Department.
Echoing this sentiment, the Traffic Police along with the health authorities sent out a timely message to motorists and pedestrians for the need for safe road use behaviour during the upcoming festive season.
They urged particularly motorists to strictly observe the rule by not driving under the influence of liquor since 20 per cent of the road mishaps were alcohol related.
The Deputy Director, National Hospital, Dr. Prasad Ariyawansa, who revealed that there were 896 liquor related victims with a 3 per cent increase over the corresponding year, lamented that the main reason attributed to road accidents was due to lack of protection. In 2010-11, 55 per cent of road accidents were motorcyclists and 23 per cent pedestrians. Motorcycle related mishaps were mainly due to the vulnerability to road hazards with the only protection being the helmet. In November 2011 alone, 283 injured were admitted to the accident ward of the national hospital.
Motorists have also been warned of the potential danger to driving under the influence of liquor where the reflexs of a driver under the influence being slowed down while also impairing eye sight, both these are potential requirements to avoid accidents.
The Consultant Community Physician, Injury Prevention and Control, Dr. Diana Samarakkody revealed that research had shown that most road accidents were due to alcohol consumption. It was therefore imperative for motorists to be mindful of the potential danger they would carry not only to their lives but also to others as well by driving under the influence of liquor.
Overly, the whole gamut of minimising road accidents would come under the hammer with the proposal to diversify the concept of more expressways under a proposal by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ease and regulate traffic movement, the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. P.G. Maheepala said.
http://www.nation.lk/2011/12/18/news16.htm
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