2,381 Dead, 785 on Bikes — Is Reckless Riding or Bad Roads Really to Blame?

Police say 2,381 people have died in 2,257 fatal road accidents across Sri Lanka so far this year. Motorcyclists make up 785 of those deaths, close to a third, and pedestrians another 227. The police spokesman blames speeding and reckless driving, but with only around 10,000 traffic police covering the whole country and nearly 6 million registered motorcycles on the road, enforcement was never going to be everywhere at once. One side says this is squarely on riders: no helmet, overtaking blind on a bend, riding after a few drinks, ignoring rules nobody bothers to follow when no one's watching. The other side says blame the roads and the system: unlit junctions, no shoulder to pull onto, buses and three-wheelers undertaking wherever they like, and a traffic police force too thin to be anywhere that matters. Realistically both are feeding the same number. If you ride, what has actually put you in danger more often — your own habits on the bike, or everything else happening around you on the road? Share what nearly got you, and what you think would genuinely bring this number down next year. මෝටර් සයිකල් පදවද්දී ඔබට වඩාත් අවදානම දැනුණේ ඇයි කියලා හිතනවද?