Sri Lanka’s latest road-safety measures address some of the country’s most persistent dangers, but their success will ultimately depend on enforcement rather than the strength of the announcements. Mandatory seat belts, driver training, drug testing, safer vehicles and stronger protection for motorcyclists are all potentially valuable reforms. The challenge is turning them into everyday practices.
From September 19, drivers and passengers travelling on expressways will be required to wear seat belts. The measure is straightforward and potentially significant. Seat belts are among the simplest ways of reducing the severity of injuries in crashes. Making their use mandatory for everyone in a vehicle strengthens an existing safety principle and places responsibility on both drivers and passengers.
However legislation by itself cannot guarantee compliance. Authorities will need sustained enforcement, particularly because road-safety rules can lose their deterrent effect when motorists believe violations are unlikely to result in penalties. The Government should therefore clarify how compliance will be monitored and whether enforcement agencies have adequate resources.
The proposed 10-day training programme for public passenger-service drivers is another positive development. Drivers transporting large numbers of passengers carry an enormous responsibility, and structured training could improve their knowledge, judgement and professional standards. However, a single training programme should not become a box-ticking exercise. Driver performance needs to be evaluated continuously, with refresher training and meaningful consequences for repeated dangerous behaviour.
Regular mobile drug testing is similarly welcome, but it raises questions about consistency, accuracy and safeguards. Testing must be conducted professionally and transparently, with clear procedures for confirming positive results. Otherwise, a measure designed to increase public confidence could generate disputes and undermine trust.
The Government’s commitment to ensuring that only standard-compliant and safe vehicles operate on the roads also deserves scrutiny. Vehicle fitness is critical, particularly in public transport. But inspections must be independent, regular and resistant to political or commercial pressure. A vehicle should not be considered safe simply because it passed one inspection months earlier.
The focus on motorcyclists is perhaps the most urgent element of the package. Motorcyclists account for the highest number of road deaths, according to Minister Bimal Ratnayake , making protective measures essential. Promoting SLS-certified helmets is practical, but helmet quality must be accompanied by enforcement of helmet use and correct wearing practices.
The proposal for dedicated motorcycle lanes could eventually improve safety, but such infrastructure requires careful planning, adequate road space and significant investment. It should not be presented as a quick solution.
As of August 2026, Sri Lanka is experiencing a sharp surge in road fatalities, with motorcyclists emerging as the most vulnerable group, accounting for 739 deaths out of 1,749 total fatalities recorded by August 20.
This represents a significant increase in deaths compared to the same period in 2025, which saw 2,746 total deaths for the full year. In response, the Ministry of Transport and Highways is initiating a pilot project in Kaluwanchikudy to introduce dedicated motorcycle lanes.
Rather than high-cost structural expansion, this project will utilize cost-efficient rubber dividers and physical barriers on existing infrastructure to reduce accidents. More details can be found in the official Sri Lanka Police Traffic Control and Road Safety Division reports
The Government’s agenda is therefore promising, but the real measure of success will be visible on the roads. Fewer deaths, fewer serious injuries and safer driving habits not the number of regulations announced should determine whether these reforms have worked. Without consistent enforcement, monitoring and public accountability, even well-designed safety measures risk becoming another set of rules that exist mainly on paper.