Arecent accident on the Southern Expressway plunged the entire country into grief as the victims were two young sisters aged eight and 10 years. It was an accident that occurred at night and several factors were apparently at play.
First, let’s get one major gripe out of the way, as it has caused so many accidents on all four Expressways currently in operation – Southern, Outer Circular, Katunayake and Central. All four are unlit at night, except near interchanges and bridges. This is very dangerous, since drivers have no frame of reference as to the edge of the Expressway. They are also unable to discern some heavy vehicles which may have rather dim rear reflecting lights, or even none at all (how such vehicles are permitted on the highways is a different matter altogether). The Katunayake Expressway having no lights also creates a negative impression in the minds of foreign visitors.
It is thus imperative that the authorities should begin work on installing LED lights along all sections of all Expressways, not just near the interchanges. If it is too expensive to connect these lamp posts to the national grid, solar power can be used instead. If funds cannot be sourced locally, the Government should seek foreign assistance for this important and lifesaving project.
Lack of focus
Another lesson that can be drawn from this tragedy is the sheer lack of focus on educating drivers on the concept of “micro-sleep”. This is a condition where a tired driver can fall asleep for a second or two, which is more than enough for a fatal collision to occur. It is believed that the girls’ father, who was at the wheel, had fallen asleep for a few seconds and slammed their vehicle into the back of a fast-moving truck, instantly killing the little ones.
Contrary to popular belief, microsleep can occur both day or night. While fatigue is the primary trigger, it can also be caused by alcohol, both medicinal drugs and narcotics or even the monotony of a straight road – this is why you should avoid driving alone at night on Expressways.
There are remedies for microsleep – never, ever drink and drive, regardless of the time. Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is a very dangerous offence that can take not only your life but also the lives of your loved ones and others on the road. If at all you have to consume alcohol, have a designated driver or use one of the “One for the road” driving services where a professional driver will drive you to your home in your own car, saving not only your licence but also quite possibly your life. Or can you opt for a taxi or a ridesharing service both ways.
This tragedy has also focused our attention on certain safeguards that should be followed when transporting children in cars and vans. Children should always travel in the backseat – toddlers should be in designated ISOFIX mounted child seats which are properly restrained. Older children should always be told to wear seat belts. Most Sri Lankans do not wear seat belts in the back seats, which can really be dangerous in an accident.
Even in this particular accident, it is clear that the mother and the father who survived the crash had been wearing seat belts as it is mandatory. They were probably saved by that and the airbags, which are described as a “Supplement Restraint System” (SRS) as it works in conjunction with the seatbelts. In fact, airbags will not inflate in an accident if the driver and passenger are not wearing seat belts, with often fatal consequences.
Most Sri Lankans like to carry their children in the front seats – there is no doubt that children also like this option. But this is highly dangerous, regardless of whether the child is wearing the seat belt or not. Remember, seat belts and air bags in the front seats are designed for adult drivers and passengers and not for children. If a serious accident occurs when a child is seated in front and belted, the airbags can literally crush the life out of the child as it inflates in a fraction of a second. A child cannot sustain that force. In the other scenario where the child is not wearing the belt, he or she will probably be thrown through the windshield in a head-on crash, which can often be fatal. Either way, it is a lose-lose situation. Parents must, therefore, ensure that the children ride only in the rear seats, with proper restraints.
School vans, on the other hand, have faced minimal supervision from the authorities. It is not uncommon to see around 20 children crammed into a van with little or no safety measures. Mercifully, there have been no major accidents involving school vans in recent times but the Police and RMV officials must check the safety measures and the mechanical condition of these vans, some of which are around 40 years old. Perhaps school van operators could be given a tax or duty rebate towards purchasing a new vehicle if they hand in their old jalopies to the authorities for scrapping.
Indeed, many drivers fail to maintain their vehicles at regular intervals and replace spare parts. This could worsen the mechanical condition of the vehicles. For example, a brake failure at a critical moment could end in a tragedy. Drivers must occasionally check the headlights and turn lights, number plate light, wipers, battery, fuel levels, brake pads and brake fluid, cooler levels and most importantly, the tyres.
Injury or death
Many motorists literally “Run on the rim” as they probably cannot afford to buy new tyres. But this is a false economy – a worn-out tyre can bring instant injury or death. It is vital to check the rear reflector lights and brake lights too- if these do not work at night, the driver in the vehicle behind you will not be able to see your vehicle until the very last moment – and that could be too late. Many accidents have occured on the Expressways because motorists could not see the rear red lights of the vehicle in front.
Precautions while driving
Even perfectly good vehicles have been involved in accidents because of bad or neglected roads. Drivers must take extreme precautions when driving in the rain on some roads which are very slippery, leading to the condition of “aquaplaning”. When driving on wet roads at high speed, a wedge of water can build up between the tyre and the road surface. The tyre loses road contact, and the vehicle is no longer responsive to steering. This phenomenon, where the vehicle almost glides on thin air, is known as aquaplaning or hydroplaning. This can be very dangerous if there are other vehicles or people on the road. Many rural roads are full of potholes, apart from broken culverts and bridges.
All such roads must be repaired by the Road Development Authority (RDA) and Provincial authorities (some roads fall under the purview of Provincial Councils and local bodies) as and when funds become available and road signs installed to warn motorists of any impending danger. Inputs can be obtained from the Police and motorists in this regard.
The Police must also do more to educate drivers, instead of looking to fine them at all times. Police personnel in Sri Lanka are known to hide behind trees and pounce on motorists, which is a really, really dangerous practice as the motorists may not have the time or even the reflexes to apply the brakes in time. Police personnel must stay visible to motorists at all times when they are on traffic duty. Police Headquarters recently issued instructions to all traffic police personnel and other police personnel to wear reflective vests at night and use red-coloured batons to stop passing motorists. This should have been done a long time ago, but it is better late than ever.
Then there is another “Thorn in the side” when it comes to traffic control. We have observed Police personnel turning off traffic lights at major junctions such as Borella and Thalawathugoda at rush hour (in the morning and evening) and make a mess of the traffic in every possible direction. The traffic lights are there for a reason. They have been programmed by traffic and transport engineers to account for traffic patterns at various times of the day.
They work seamlessly at all times. Moreover, they do not get tired, angry or calls of nature. A lone policeman stationed at a junction cannot handle rush hour traffic with the same finesse. Therefore, it is best if traffic police personnel leave the traffic lights alone at all times, except in an emergency – perhaps to let an ambulance pass through or when there is a power cut.
We have also observed that some traffic lights even at busy junctions are turned off around 10 or 11 pm, with only the blinking amber lights displayed. If saving electricity is the aim, that is not fulfilled because amber lights anyway blink until the system is turned on again in the morning.
As someone who has personally experienced a collision at a busy junction where the lights were set to blinking, I know the importance of having traffic lights on 24/7 at every major junction. It is the safest option available. Some motorists may not see a vehicle coming from another side of the junction at night. This can be avoided if the traffic lights work normally at any given time. The lesson here is that lights are usually obeyed by motorists, but left to their own devices, everyone wants to go at the same time. There is no race on the road. Just keep calm and drive on.
