Police say 2,381 people have died in 2,257 fatal road accidents across Sri Lanka so far in 2026, with speeding and reckless driving named as the main causes.
Police Media Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler gave the figures during a television discussion. He said 785 motorcyclists and 227 pedestrians were among those killed this year.
He said Sri Lanka has nearly six million registered motorcycles and pointed to the risks facing young riders who engage in dangerous riding. He urged parents to be more responsible when buying motorcycles for their children.
Wootler also referred to the three-bus collision at Rambewa in Anuradhapura on Tuesday. He said competitive driving and a dangerous overtaking attempt contributed to the crash. According to the figures he gave, four people died, 76 were injured and four were in critical condition.
The Island newspaper reported a different toll, saying five passengers were killed and more than 50 injured. The two accounts were given at different times, and the final figures have not been confirmed.
Police said the collision happened on the Medawachchiya–Rambewa stretch of the A9 Road. Two Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) buses collided head-on, and seconds later a private bus crashed into one of them. One SLTB bus was travelling from Janakapura to Colombo via Padavisripura, and the other from Akkaraipattu to Jaffna. About 100 passengers were aboard the three buses. The injured were admitted to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, hospital sources said.
Background
Wootler said around 10,000 traffic police officers attached to 609 police stations are engaged in road safety duties across the country. He said the primary responsibility of traffic police is to ensure that motorists reach their destinations safely.
The figures cover the year to date. Police counted the 2,381 deaths across 2,257 fatal accidents, which means some accidents killed more than one person. Motorcyclists and pedestrians together account for 1,012 of the deaths, or a little over 42 percent of the total.
The A9 Road is the main highway linking the central part of the country with Jaffna in the north, and long-distance buses use it daily.
What it means
For passengers, pedestrians and riders, the figures point to the roads where the risk is highest. Motorcyclists make up the largest single group among the dead, according to the police figures.
The police appeal was addressed to motorists, parents and road users alike. Wootler urged drivers to respect traffic regulations, to cooperate with officers and to put the safety of passengers, pedestrians and other road users first.
