Permanently disabled figures seen rising among youth involved in motorcycle accidents

The number of young people who become permanently disabled due to motorcycle accidents is increasing daily according to recent data reports. Over the past year, 966 people who died in fatal accidents were motorcyclists accounting to more than one third of the deaths caused by road accidents.

"Although the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents is recorded in statistics, the number of precious young lives that become permanently disabled is not documented. A young life being permanently inactive is a burden to a family as well as to the country," Dr. Tushan Benaragama, former chief plastic surgeon at Colombo National Hospital, said that it is everyone's responsibility to drive carefully when on wheels regardless of the vehicle they are driving. According to the Police Media Spokesman's Office data reports, the number of young people who become permanently disabled due to motorcycle accidents is shooting up day by day. The number of road accidents in 2022 was 19,740. Out of which 2,371 were fatal accidents with the death toll numbering 2,485.

The number of patients who became incapacitated due to accidents is 5,133. The Western Province has been recorded as the region with the highest number of road accidents. Also, the number of deaths that have come to pass due to motorcycle accidents was 806, the number of pedestrians who lost their lives is 772 and the total number of other accidents is 907.

The number of reported accidents in 2021 was 22887 which is relatively higher than the following year and the count of fatal accidents was recorded as 2452 and the total number of deaths was 2557. In the same year, of the 966 people who died in fatal accidents were motorcyclists. More than 600 pedestrians were killed in accidents and 997 people were killed in numerous traffic accidents that year.

Concerning the traffic accidents reported around the country, Nihal Talduwa, Police Media Spokesman, Senior Superintendent of Police, said, "Bike accidents often occur when the bike goes too fast to control. There are no traffic rules in such instances. Plus, discipline and patience is something that a person who buys a car should have, which is not found in most of the drivers." He also added, that it would be useful if social media could be used to create awareness of traffic rules to change such situations for the better.”