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Reckless, deadly drivers prompt scrutiny of trainers and licensing
View(s):By Minaza Hassan
Road traffic accidents have become deeply normalised in Sri Lanka where the Police have recorded nearly 120,000 crashes between 2020 and 2024, causing more than 12,000 deaths, and an annual average of over 20,000 crashes and over 2,000 fatalities, making them routine incidents rather than preventable tragedies.
So far this year, more than 2,000 road traffic accidents have been reported, in which about 2,500 have died.
According to a report from the Transport ministry although the fatality rate has slightly reduced from 13.6 to about 11.2 deaths per 100,000 people, it is still above the global target of fewer than 10 deaths per 100,000.
More crashes were reported this week with some of them involving buses.
A collission between a tipper truck and private passenger bus on the Hungama-Kivula area along the Tissa-Matara main road injuredover 30 and claimed the life of the driver of the tipper. Pic by Rahul Samantha
On Monday, a student was killed and 20 others were injured in Thalawa when a private bus had veered off the road trying to give way to a motorcycle, while on Thursday a tipper truck and a private passenger bus had collided head on injuring over 30 and claiming the life of the driver of the tipper in a collision on the Hungama-Kivula area along the Tissa-Matara main road.
The tipper and bus crash took place on a winding stretch of road during rain, and a passenger in the bus reported that both vehicles had been speeding.
According to the Hungama Police, many passengers in the bus were students on their way to or from tutoring classes.
However, according to the data, the overwhelming majority of accidents stem from reckless driving, especially speeding and drunk driving, while factors such as road conditions or vehicle defects contribute to fewer incidents, said National Council for Road Safety Chairman, Manjula Kularatne.
Although bus accidents attract public attention due to their high casualty numbers per incident, the data shows that motorcyclists are the most frequently involved and most vulnerable group, followed by pedestrians, highlighting the need to rethink how all road users behave, not only drivers, said Mr. Kularatne.
Improving driver behaviour must begin with a stricter, and cleaner driver-licensing system, he added.
Longstanding malpractices, bribery, and irregularities in licensing, particularly in the Department of Motor Traffic need to be addressed, said Mr. Kularatne.
The government is now attempting to eliminate these issues through monitoring and the introduction of digitalised systems, including health-check renewals through the National Medical Institute by working with the Ministry of Digital Economy, said Mr. Kularatne.
Additionally, budget 2026 allocates a dedicated road-safety funding of about Rs 4 billion, said Mr. Kularatne.
Sri Lanka has had no coordinated or long-term strategy to address this issue before, however, an action plan which is to be implemented over the span of two years has now been developed, said Mr. Kularatne.
The plan, which was finalised in July, contains over 90 activities. Many of them prioritise low-cost interventions like introducing the legal framework for seatbelt use and launching a public WhatsApp complaint number to report violations and unsafe conditions, said Mr. Kularatne.
The Road Safety Management Action Plan 2025–2026 sets out a list of actions led through a collaborative responsibility from the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT), the National Council on Road Safety (NCRS), the National Transport Medical Institute (NTMI), the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), the National Transport Commission (NTC), Sri Lanka Police, the Road Development Authority (RDA), the Road Passenger Transport Authority (RPTA) and technical assistance from the World Health Organisation and the private sector.
The plan includes initiating stronger monitoring of driving schools and driver-testing activities, and transforming the National Council on Road Safety into a fully empowered National Transport Safety Commission.
It also calls for verifying insurance-company contributions to the Road Safety Fund, updating medical guidelines for driver fitness, and amending the National Transport Medical Institute Act.
In parallel, the NTMI and DMT will integrate computer systems to medical and licensing processes.
The SLTB will establish an inspection unit to monitor driver behaviour, onboard and on the road, analyse the causes of public-transport bus accidents to support planning, and enforce the mandatory use of seat belts by all bus drivers.
Driving schools, which operate under the Department of Motor Vehicles, are undergoing changes aimed at improving both their curriculum and the overall quality of service, while regular inspections are also done, ensuring that training standards are properly monitored and updated, said Mr. Kularatne.
The Road Safety Council is also working with the Education Ministry to integrate road-safety concepts into the school curriculum.
Discussions with the Ministry of Education have centred on three key areas, which include improving the school curriculum by integrating road-safety, introducing practical activities, and forming road-safety clubs, said Mr. Kularatne.
One of the concerns has been that some of those who get their driving or riding licenses do not go through a proper training process. The lack of trained instructors has been one reason.
A former driving instructor and now a member of Kandy municipal Council, Samudra Dayananda this week told the monthly council meeting that fake driving schools operate in Kandy and provide informal and improper/unregulated training to a large group of people at once.
“People are trained at one time by driving through a five-minute and one-time training session,” she added, highlighting the dangers of providing licences to incompetent drivers.
Motor Traffic Commissioner Kamal Amarasinghe said every learner school will be checked within this month.
Several motorists who have got licences through incompetent instructors and schools may already be on the roads.
The consistency of action taken by the police to reduce accidents, too, has been questioned.
Among initiatives was the deployment of police in civvies in buses to monitor the driver and take action, but they have been limited to a few instances, and which have gained traction on electronic media.
However, police claim that it has intensified its response through a combination of public awareness and stricter enforcement, said Police Media Spokesman, ASP F U Wootler.
Police traffic headquarters and OICs have begun nationwide awareness campaigns on the dangers of speeding, reckless driving, and driving under the influence, he said.
To strengthen roadside enforcement, officers are also being given cameras, speed guns, and breathalyser kits.
Authorities are also relying increasingly on the new e-Traffic app, which allows passengers, especially those in buses to submit photos and videos of dangerous driving directly to the police, he said, adding that public vigilance has significantly improved, with citizens now reporting violations more quickly.
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