DARSHANA SANJEEWA BALASURIYA 
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Police to enforce ’hard laws’ against reckless drivers
Colombo, March 12 (Daily Mirror) - The Sri Lanka Police are stepping up their crackdown on reckless driving by enforcing stringent legal measures, including attempted murder charges, against severe traffic violators.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of the Traffic Control and Road Safety Division, W.P.J. Senadheera, said that law enforcement is now actively utilizing social media footage and dashcam recordings provided by the public to track down and arrest offenders.
Addressing the media, DIG Senadheera highlighted several recent incidents where public vigilance led to significant arrests. In one notable case in Nawagattegama, a young motorcyclist was captured on video riding recklessly and deliberately endangering the lives of others on the road. Instead of merely issuing a standard traffic fine, police used the viral social media footage to locate the suspect. He was subsequently arrested and remanded under the serious "hard law" charges, including attempted culpable homicide, sending a strong message to other motorists.
The DIG also detailed two alarming incidents involving three-wheeler drivers. In the Kadawatha police division, a 26-year-old driver was recorded driving highly erratically and endangering pedestrians and oncoming traffic. After being tracked down and arrested, he tested positive for marijuana and was remanded under severe charges. Similarly, in the Athurugiriya area, a 23-year-old three-wheeler driver ignored police signals to stop late at night. During the ensuing pursuit, the driver attempted to ram the police officers, resulting in an accident. He was found to be highly intoxicated and under the influence of marijuana, leading to his arrest on charges of attempted murder.
Issuing a stern warning to motorists, DIG Senadheera said that young drivers should no longer assume they can evade justice simply because a police officer is not physically present at the scene. With the increasing prevalence of dashcams and smartphones, police are actively monitoring social media to identify those who flout road safety rules. He said that all three recent offenders are currently remanded under severe legal provisions rather than standard traffic violations.
To further encourage community participation, DIG Senadheera revealed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has instructed authorities to offer rewards to citizens who provide actionable video evidence of severe traffic offenses. Acknowledging that the police cannot be everywhere at once, the DIG made a direct appeal to the public to continue recording and submitting accurate footage of reckless driving, excessive speeding, and competitive racing by buses, cars, and motorcycles, assuring them that prompt legal action will be taken.
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