New and expensive speed cameras: Old habits must change to be effective

THE Sri Lankan Traffic Police are now believed to possess more advanced speed cameras. This is a positive development, undertaken at significant public expense. As ordinary citizens, we have both the right and the responsibility to express our views on how such systems can be implemented more effectively. If properly designed and enforced, speed cameras can help reduce road traffic accidents and ultimately save lives, public funds, and property by minimising avoidable losses on our roads. This is especially important at a time when the country is striving to reduce its debt burden, at least for the benefit of future generations.

- By Chula Goonasekera

This brief opinion is offered for the consideration of policymakers, policy implementers, road users, and the general public.

Excessive or inappropriate speed is a well-recognised contributor to road traffic accidents, resulting in serious injuries, fatalities, and extensive property damage. Sri Lanka has long struggled with an unacceptably high rate of road traffic accidents, with little evidence of sustained improvement, despite repeated and highly publicised claims by the authorities that exceptional efforts are being made to address this issue.

Effective solutions in any field require reliable data, credible analysis, identification of contributory factors, and the implementation of corrective measures that do not unnecessarily harass the public. While many issues deserve attention—most notably poor road discipline among all categories of road users—speed remains a critical and well-established risk factor worldwide. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that excessive speed is also a major contributor to Sri Lanka’s persistently high accident rates.

Although speed cameras have been in use in Sri Lanka for over three decades, drivers have witnessed no meaningful transformation in the enforcement system. Manual roadside detection, selective and biased enforcement, unequal treatment of offenders, exemptions for politically influential individuals, and the absence of a reliable mechanism to identify repeat offenders have collectively undermined the effectiveness of speed control measures. As a result, despite the visible presence of traffic police on the roadside, there has been little demonstrable impact on accident reduction.