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| Sunday, 20 March 2005 |
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Drunken drivers killed thousands last year Crime Sunday by Jaympathy Jayasinghe To curb the rising incidents of fatal accidents on our highways, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandra Fernando has instructed all police stations to take stern action against drivers who have not surrendered to Court despite Ccourt warrants for their arrest. According to Director, Traffic Administration and Safety, there are around 48,223 unexecuted warrants in respect of traffic offences piled up at police stations in the country. Of this number, 20556 warrants have been executed and steps are being taken to clear the backlog of remaining warrants. IGP Chandra Fernando told the Sunday Observer that he had instructed police divisional heads to get policemen to execute outstanding warrants, and to take suspects before courts. He said the campaign to rehabilitate motorists was launched three months ago. The first campaign was aimed at reducing crime and we have now embarked on a second campaign to round-up motor traffic offenders. The IGP emphasised that many fatal accidents occur due to the sheer negligence of both private and SLCTB bus drivers. The time schedules drawn up for both private and SLCTB buses have to be revised as they were on a collision course. There is fierce competition between private and SLCTB buses which are driven at break neck speed. He stressed the importance of re-scheduling timetables to minimise accidents. According to police many traffic offenders with warrants cannot be traced due to wrong addresses furnished by motorists. It usually happens when a motorist who had already surrendered his driving licence is detected for a subsequent offence. The policemen too have to share the blame for not double checking addresses from insurance certificate. Last Wednesday, two fatal accidents which occurred at Lellopitiya-Embilipitiya and the other one at Wattala are grim reminders of how serious the situation is. A bus belonging to the Sri Lanka Navy rammed into a passenger van at Wattala on Colombo-Negombo road, killing the driver and two other passengers and injuring 15 others. The van was proceeding towards Wattala, having picked up some passengers who had returned from the Middle East. Of the 15 persons three were seriously injured. The van had been returning from Katunayake after picking up some passengers when the tragedy occurred. The Naval bus had been travelling towards the direction of Katunayake from Colombo along with the naval crew. According to police the van was a total wreck. Three naval personnel are believed to be injured in the accident. The other tragedy occurred at the Embilipitiya-Lellopitiya road on the same day in the early hours of the morning, when a truck smashed into a passenger van killing the van driver and injuring eight other persons. The injured were admitted to the Ratnapura General Hospital. According to police the passengers of the van were proceeding to Kurunegala to attend a function. The Director Traffic Administration and Road Safety, SSP Lucky Peiris said road accidents could be minimised if the drivers were disciplined. Fatal accidents are as a result of speeding under the influence of liquor. According to Traffic Administration and Road Safety Department at Police Headquarters 2,116 persons had died in fatal accidents in 2004. Four thousand five hundred and sixty people were seriously injured in the same year. Another serious accident was reported at Dambulla last Friday morning around 7.15 a.m. when two lorries travelling from the opposite directions collided with each other at Dabagolla killing both drivers and injuring three persons travelling in a van which rammed into a lorry from behind. A cleaner travelling in one of the lorries too was injured. The injured have been admitted to the Galewela hospital. According to Gallewela police a goods lorry bound to Colombo from Batticoloa had crashed head on with a lorry carrying sand. "We feel that one of the drivers would have fallen asleep ," a police officer said. |
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