Carmudi Monthly 001 | Page 17

About Us

We believe in having safer, smarter drivers in Sri Lanka. To achieve that, first we need to be thorough with correct road rules and manners.

The Sri Lankan Traffic Violations page is a community driven page which helps highlight those that abuse the laws and act selfishly, making our roads more dangerous and difficult to drive.

IMPATIENT: Saving your Time,

by Ruining Everyone Else's

Driving has become an increasingly arduous task, the slow moving traffic and the often hazardous driving habits of those around you make it near impossible to maintain a calm demeanor on Sri Lanka’s roads.

The main reason for this appears to be that many drivers behave as though their time is far more precious than anyone else’s. However, the 2 minutes that is saved by forming a third lane or recklessly overtaking and forcing your way into a lane result in larger traffic jams down the line. Similar to the Butterfly Effect, a minor incident can result in a larger incident later on.

Take the example of the reckless driver who suddenly cuts across a lane, this results in the vehicle behind them to reduce their speed, and the vehicle behind them to reduce their speed even further.

This domino effect goes down vehicle to vehicle, with each subsequent vehicle slowing down more than the one in front. Now, multiple this effect several times with multiple reckless drivers, and the resultant ripple creates a larger traffic jam with no actual purpose. Heavy braking, which is often unavoidable when impulsive maneuvers are taken by others, can cause traffic jams several kilometers down the road.

Other impacts, such as inefficient traffic flow control by the police as well as small roads creating a funnel also add to the effect of the traffic jam. The summation of all these factors results in hundreds of

cars facing heavy congestion when there is no actual reason for it.

Impatient driving is another factor that contributes to accidents and vociferous arguments in the middle of the road, further blocking the flow of traffic. Unfortunately, this road rage appears to be an increasing occurrence on Sri Lankan roads—From scooters to cars to bus drivers, they all appear susceptible to this “sickness”.

Regardless, there are those that manage to navigate through our roads without letting their tempers get the best of them, and we’d like to thank those that look to ensure that everyone gets to where they are going safely and without the need to curse mothers and fathers or call for the wraith of various deities and celestial beings.

Next time you venture forth into the jungle that is our road network, take a deep breath, put on some music that relaxes you, remind yourself that everyone’s time is important, and give others the benefit of the doubt, they may actually be facing an emergency.

SRI LANKA TRAFFIC

VIOLATIONS

(click here for our FB page)

TALKING POINT