AAC launches road safety initiative to curb ‘distracted driving’

On Oct 19, 2023

The Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC) , a leading advocate for road safety in Sri Lanka launched a novel and timely initiative ‘Don’t Drive Blind!’ to minimize ‘Distracted Driving’ leading towards reduction of road accidents.

Sri Lanka, a country renowned for its scenic beauty, faces a grim reality on its roads. With over 3,500 road accident deaths annually, 9,000 critical accidents, and 12,000 minor accidents, the need for urgent action to enhance road safety cannot be overstated,” said DIG Police, Indika Hapugoda,

“We have identified that driving under the influence of liquor, the rampant use of mobile phones while driving, consistently tops the list of traffic offenses in Colombo and Galle districts in both 2019 and 2022.

In a bid to reduce these bad habits AAC launched this program to minimize it,” said AAC President, Dhammika Attygalle.

“Towards this we came to a partnership with the National Road Safety Council and Optimum pledging USD 30,000 for this initiative.”

Director Marketing, Optimum Q , Santhush Ratnasinghe, said that under the ‘Don’t Drive Blind!’ initiative we are looking to break drivers harmful habits on sending SMS while driving, similar to those used to combat smoking or texting addiction.

“We aim to educate the public about the perils of using mobile phones while driving and create a widespread understanding that distracted driving is akin to ‘the new drink driving’ or a form of negligent driving with far-reaching consequences.”

Through applied research, we intend to provide an evidence-based resource platform aimed at reducing in-vehicle mobile phone use, primarily among young drivers, who are more susceptible to this risky behavior.

“These kinds of initiatives are used in many parts of the world including Australia and New Zealand and we too are dedicated to making our roads safer by addressing smartphone use in vehicles,” said , Secretary, AAC Devapriya Hettiarachchi.

The Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC) is a leading advocate for road safety in Sri Lanka. With a commitment to promoting safer roads, AAC has been a steadfast partner in numerous initiatives aimed at reducing accidents and making our roads secure for all.

“We urge all Sri Lankan drivers to join us in this mission to reduce mobile phone use behind the wheel by taking our quiz at https://driveinthemoment.org/lk/ and answer a few questions.”

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