Deputy Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Prasanna Gunasena today (08) told Parliament that road accidents in Sri Lanka have increased compared to previous years, with pedestrians and motorcyclists emerging as the most vulnerable groups.
Presenting statistics during the parliamentary session, the Deputy Minister said 2,403 road accidents were reported in 2024, while the number rose to 2,583 in 2025—an increase of 180 accidents.
He noted that serious injuries stood at 7,158 in 2024 but were expected to reduce to 5,270 in 2025, a decrease of 1,881. Minor injuries numbered 9,996 in 2024 and are projected to increase slightly in 2025. Property damage cases amounted to 5,743 in 2024 and are expected to decline in 2025.
According to the figures presented, the total number of road accidents—including those resulting in serious injuries, minor injuries and property damage—stood at 25,299 in 2024 and is expected to decrease to 22,153 in 2025. However, the Deputy Minister stressed that this cannot be viewed as a positive trend, as the overall number of road accidents has increased.
Analyzing the types of road users involved, he pointed out that pedestrians and motorcyclists account for the highest number of accidents. In 2024, accidents involving pedestrians numbered 815, while those involving motorcycles stood at 781. A similar trend is expected to continue in 2025, underscoring the need to focus safety measures on these two groups.
Turning to train-related accidents, the Deputy Minister said fatalities linked to train incidents remain a serious concern. He noted that 208 deaths were recorded in 2021, increasing to 414 in 2022, before slightly declining to 402 in 2023 and 374 in 2024/2025. These figures include deaths without a clear distinction between suicides and accidental collisions.
He further stated that accidents involving trains and vehicles were recorded as 61 in 2021, 78 in 2022, 74 in 2023, 66 in 2024 and 75 in 2025.
Addressing wildlife-related incidents, the Deputy Minister said that in 2024, eight people were killed and 10 injured due to wild elephants colliding with trains, bringing the total number of casualties to 18. In 2025, 14 deaths and eight injuries have been reported from similar incidents.
Deputy Minister Gunasena emphasized that the ministry is actively intervening to prevent road and rail accidents, adding that funds have been allocated this year to implement necessary preventive measures, with special attention to pedestrian and motorcyclist safety as well as railway accident prevention.
