Accidents and unnatural deaths cost Sri Lanka nearly 10,000 to 12,000 of its citizens per year, the authorities said yesterday as the island nation traverses the National Accident Prevention week. The Ministry of Health, yesterday stated that accidents account for the largest share of hospitalisation in Sri Lanka, pointing out that around one million are hospitalised as patients each year due to accidents.
“That is one in every seven Sri Lankans,” Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa explained, adding that a majority of those who find themselves in such circumstances are found to be between 15-45 years of age. Among the most frequently reported accidents in Sri Lanka are road traffic incidents, animal and snake bites, exposure to toxic substances, cuts, and burns. Around 3,000 suicides are reported a year. According to Minister Dr. Jayatissa, around 50% of accidents occur in familiar settings. Adding that between 10,000 and 12,000 people die each year due to accidents, he explained: “Around 75% of deaths caused by accidents occur before the victims are referred to a hospital for treatment. If we intervene at this stage, it may be possible to save some of these lives.”
The number of such occurrences and the need for treatment of the victims have a major impact on health expenditure, and the workforce of the country, given that the majority of those involved are of the working age.
Looking at last year’s data, it is clear that road traffic accidents in Sri Lanka have seen an increase compared to 2023. In 2024, a total of 22,967 accidents were reported between 1 January and 13 December, surpassing the 22,804 incidents recorded in 2023, underlining the urgent need for effective measures to curb road accidents and their devastating impacts. A total of 2,243 people lost their lives and 4,552 sustained serious injuries in road traffic incidents in 2024. Of these incidents, 2,141 were fatal, 4,552 were classified as serious, and 8,338 were minor accidents. According to a study of the data from 2024, it shows that pedestrians are the most vulnerable group, with 792 reported incidents, followed by motorcyclists with 691 reported accidents. Other groups affected include drivers (159 incidents), cyclists (295 incidents), and passengers (152 incidents).
Last year, the Ministry of Transport said that they were planning to develop a strategic approach that spanned short-, medium-, and long-term solutions to address the issue. However, the Government has not shared details of the plans. They point out that the first areas of focus would be to remedy structural issues of roads, such as black spots and necessary repairs. The second focus will be on vehicle standards, particularly the condition of tires and brakes, to ensure vehicles are roadworthy and safe to operate. Lastly, the Government plans to push regulatory and cultural changes to ensure human factors which largely contribute to road safety are addressed in the long term. While some have made fun of some of these moves, like making it mandatory to wear seatbelts, such basic measures can contribute significantly to reducing the impact on some of the victims of road accidents. The ministry underlined human factors as major contributors to road accidents, citing behaviours such as drunk driving and the use of mobile phones while driving as key issues. “About 60-70% of road accidents are caused by undisciplined drivers, primarily motorists and three-wheeler drivers,” a senior official stated.
Due to the lack of public funds to effect major changes to the road network and improve vehicle safety, even on the fleet of public transport vehicles, the State may have to resort to changes in laws relating to enforcement, improving driver licence evaluation methods, and introducing a demerit point system as cost-effective measures that will have immediate gains. Experts have pointed out that a demerit point system, recommended over a decade ago, remained unimplemented despite its feasibility. It is expected that with the digitalisation drive, and ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme of the Government, the system can be rolled out soon. There is also a dire need to improve driver training, licensing and routine physical and mental screening to ensure the safety of all commuters. Above all, enforcement must be made efficient and corruption free for any meaningful measure to take effect.