Preventing road accidents

It was a hard decision for me to write this piece because many letters/articles penned on this subject, for decades (1981 to date), have fallen on deaf ears.

After my training, under a WHO Fellowship, in 1988, on the subject of road safety, two seminars and exhibitions, using a physical model 16’X 8’, were held at the OPA, in 2000 and 2003, under the caption: “Introduction to the Basics of Lane Discipline”; which, like all good things, were completely sabotaged by the very same people who should have benefitted from it. (see The Island of 22,23,24 September, 2005, for more details)

Lane Discipline is not just a word. It is a whole subject that can be easily understood, even by a student, who has done mathematics up to the “O” levels. So, our attention first goes to our driving schools, and the multiplicity of organizations, with well paid staff for doing nothing. Their only qualification is perhaps that they are somebody’s somebody.

The recent tragedy at Passara, killing 15 innocent people, for which the ill-trained truck driver is to blame, is a good example. Judging from the video clips shown:

(1) the road narrowing was seen on the side of the truck driver who should have stopped and given way to the oncoming bus

(2) the truck driver failed to give right of way to the bus which was climbing while the truck was descending

(3) The bus driver would have been helpless, because if the fully loaded bus was forced to stop when climbing, he would have had difficulty in controlling it.

While our well-paid gentlemen, engaged on road safety, will read and forget, till the next tragedy occurs, but for me it is a reminder of some of the most gruesome fatal accidents I have recorded, or seen, with my own eyes. (1) A pregnant young girl pillion rider, on her way to her mother’s place for her first confinement, died, on the spot, when knocked down by a tipper driver, carrying sand, on Parliament Road, (2) A double decker driver, on the Kelani Bridge, rammed into a hand cart, pushed along on the wrong side, carrying a load of bamboos. One bamboo went right through the stomach of the poor boy. Sure these two drivers are still driving on our roads. (3) A young lady doctor, on duty, lost her life, travelling in an ambulance, of the Ministry of Health, that met with an accident, at a time when we are made to believe that an ambulance is the safest vehicle on our roads. In this connection, I hesitate to mention another lady doctor, who was Secretary to the National Council for Prevention of Accidents (NCPA), who got rid of all the engineers, from the NCPA, and renaming it as NCPI, as if only meant for doctors, should now examine her conscience.

The saddest day for me was the day I participated at the so-called launch of the proposal to create the NCRS, describing it as a white elephant to employ relations and friends of politicians. The sponsors succeeded to mislead the Prime Minister to approve the creation of this white elephant. Their performance, during the so-called their own decade of action (2011 to 2020), is proof of their inability to solve this problem. Now, on to the second decade of inactivity (2021 to 2030) what we can expect was seen during the month of January 2021 itself, with a sharp increase in road accidents.

The subject of road safety should rightly come under a separate branch of the RDA called, “Traffic Engineering Branch”, as in Singapore, consisting of civil engineers well-trained in road safety matters and responsible for correct road markings, road signs, operation and maintenance to traffic lights. (see The Island of 03-01-2020 for more). The police will engage in law enforcement only.

There will be a ray of hope if President Gotabaya Rajapaksa takes this subject under him, personally, and appoints competent professionals with the aptitude to road safety matters and sufficient foreign driving experience to work together to find a solution. They should not be given anything more than three months to submit their findings. It is best that this subject is removed from outfits such as NCPI, Ceyspa, AA, NCRS, etc., and save funds and use them for better purposes.

Eng. ANTON NANAYAKKARA

Chartered Civil Engineer