The Department of Motor Traffic has revealed that over 700,000 vehicles identified to be in the category and brand of vehicles with faulty airbags, which have been recalled by the manufacturers, are currently in operation in Sri Lanka.

The Commissioner General of Motor Traffic, Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe states that relevant measures are underway to recall those vehicles from the owners, following discussions with local vehicle dealers.

The Department of Motor Traffic mentions that several models of cars and SUVs have been identified to be in operation within the island, in which the said fault of the airbag can be fatal to the driver.

Furthermore, the relevant department confirms that although many other countries have recalled certain models of vehicles with such faulty airbags and the issues have been fixed so far, those vehicles are still running on the roads in Sri Lanka with no inspection.

Recently, a scientist from the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) was killed in a road accident at Kumbuka in Gonapola, Horana on February 03, whereas it was later uncovered that the death was caused by a fault in the airbag of the vehicle.

Police said the 37-year-old, who was returning home in his car, died after his car hit a concrete post of a road barrier. 

His car had toppled and he was killed when a metal shard of the airbag that had been activated upon impact, caused grievous injuries leading to his death, according to police.

Following this tragedy, local vehicle dealers who have sold vehicles of similar models to that of the deceased scientist have recalled those vehicle models for an Air Bag system upgrade.

Accordingly, the Commissioner General of Motor Traffic noted that 47 categories of vehicle models have been identified with such faulty airbag, and that measures have been taken to recall those vehicles from the owners, after obtaining information from the local vehicle dealers regarding the vehicle owners.