A study of serious and fatal road traffic accident involving buses of the Sri Lankan State Transport services revealed that physical, mental and psychological ailment of drivers contributed to causing a large proportion of accidents. Driving after consuming alcohol also contributed to the high accident rate. Fatigue due to overwork and inadequate sleep, was a major risk factor. Behavioural disorders, physical illnesses and disabilities were also found to have a direct influence on driver error. In Sri Lanka, the incidence of injuries and fatalities due to road traffic accidents shows a steady increase every year. During the last year over 2000 fatalities per year have been recorded. The cost to the nation is estimated to be over ten million US dollars per annum. It is imperative that adequate measures should be taken to prevent or reduce the high accident rate due to driver error. The National Transport Medical Institute of the Ministry of transport Sri Lanka (NTMI) was established to reduce the rising incidence of road traffic accidents in the country caused due to driver medical unfitness. The head quarters of the NTMI with about ten qualified doctors working is based in Colombo. About sixty five other doctors are employed to cover the medical examinations of drivers in the rest of the districts of the country. Heavy vehicle drivers inclusive of bus drivers have a medical examination by doctors attached to the NTMI before they are eligible to obtain their driving license. Every three years the said drivers have to be medically examined before their licenses are renewed. Breathalyzer tests are also performed on drunken drivers produced by the traffic police and the special flying squads of the Sri Lanka transport Board. Special medical board examinations are conducted on drivers who are suspected to be physically, mentally and temperamentally unfit. Driving licenses of drivers found unfit by medical boards are required to be suspended or cancelled. Counseling is done in certain instances when drivers are suspected to be affected by behavioural disorders. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines to ensure that drivers suffering from serious illnesses should not be permitted to drive heavy vehicles. A joint study by the International Labour Organization and the WHO has recommended the maximum duty hours and the rest periods necessary for drivers to avoid accidents due to fatigue. Monitoring of the physical, mental and psychological condition of heavy vehicle drivers should be an ongoing process. (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see E217780.
Abstract