Key stakeholders push for mandatory vehicle inspections to curb Sri Lanka's deadly road accident crisis

A coalition of Sri Lanka's key transport and safety authorities yesterday issued a unified and urgent call for the implementation of mandatory comprehensive vehicle inspections, moving beyond the current emissions-only testing.

- By NISHEL FERNANDO

The push comes in response to a staggering daily loss of seven to eight lives and a further 10 individuals facing permanent disabilities, due to road accidents, inflicting a grievous social and economic toll on the nation.

At a press conference organised by the Automobile Association of Ceylon (AA Ceylon) in Colombo this week, to launch a UN-funded road safety awareness programme themed 'Vehicle Testing Can Save Lives', the leaders from the Sri Lanka Police, Motor Traffic Department and National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) presented a grim picture of the country’s road safety crisis.

According to AA Ceylon, a mere 20 percent of vehicles in the country are currently subjected to a thorough vehicle test.

Deputy Inspector General of Police for Traffic and Road Safety DIG Indika Hapugoda revealed alarming statistics, stating, “In 2024, we lost 2,521 people in 2,411 fatal accidents. In the first six months of this year alone, 1,199 lives have been lost. This is a critical situation. We are losing close to 30,000 lives on our roads every decade, a figure that rivals the casualties of the 30-year war.”