3. Can you tell us a little bit about the road safety and sustainable mobility situation in your area?
In Sri Lanka, road safety and sustainable mobility are not up to standards when we compare them with other countries. The estimated annual road crash deaths per capita in Sri Lanka is twice the average rate in high-income countries and five times that of the best-performing countries in the world. Available data indicates that an average of 38,000 crashes happen in the country annually which result in around 3,000 fatalities and 8,000 serious injuries. Improving road safety in Sri Lanka is vital to national health, well-being, and economic growth. Therefore, a lot of parties have joined with the government of Sri Lanka to uplift road safety in the country. So, we’re expecting to see safer roads all around the country soon!
4. Why do you think it's important to include young people in local and global road safety efforts?
Always, the young generation is the future of the world in every aspect. It’s the same for road safety. Youth can help to create awareness on road safety among people. Guiding or educating one young individual will be an investment in road safety. Youth can spread good road safety practices among people. The message is also amplified because they have the capacity and the enthusiasm to promote road safety within the society as leaders. So, investing time in educating young people on road safety is the best, in my opinion.