A National Wake-Up Call on Long-Distance Bus Safety

"Every Journey Matters, Every Life Counts:

- BY DR. JAYALATH EDIRISINGHE, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya

As the world observes UN Global Road Safety Week, it is a timely and necessary moment for Sri Lanka to reflect on its public transport safety landscape, particularly in relation to long-distance travel.

According to the World Health Organization's Global Status Report on Road Safety (2023), road traffic accidents claim 1.19 million lives every year across the globe. Sri Lanka continues to experience its share of these preventable deaths. The tragic bus crash at Ramboda on May 11th, which took the lives of 23 passengers and injured many others, is yet another painful reminder of systemic weaknesses that must be addressed.

This was not an isolated incident. A substantial body of global research confirms that over 95% of road accidents are linked to human factors, including driver fatigue, inattention, and impaired judgment. In contrast, only 8% are caused by mechanical failure and 28% by environmental or road conditions, with some overlap. This clearly underscores the need to center human performance, behavior, and accountability in our efforts to improve road safety.

Driver fatigue remains one of the most under-acknowledged yet deadly risks in long-distance transport, especially during night operations or extended driving without proper rest. International studies, including those by the National Sleep Foundation and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), have identified two high-risk time windows for sleep-related crashes: between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

These periods coincide with natural dips in human alertness. During these times, drivers—no matter how experienced—are prone to microsleep episodes, which can result in catastrophic consequences. It is important to recognize that a clean safety record does not insulate a driver from the physiological realities of fatigue.