Road accidents kill 481, injure 664 in August
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Road accidents killed 481 people and injured 664 in 513 road accidents across the country in August.
Road Safety Foundation (RSF) confirmed the matter in its monthly report published on Monday. The deceased included 61 women and 58 children. An average of 15.51 people died every day, which shows an increase compared to the daily average of 13.41 deaths recorded in July.
The report said 176 people died in 183 motorcycle accidents, accounting for 36.59 percent of the total fatalities. The deceased included 102 pedestrians, 67 drivers and assistants, and 61 students.
August saw six people die and nine others suffer injuries in seven waterway accidents. 34 railway accidents claimed 27 lives and injured 23 others.
According to the RSF analysis, the highest number of accidents occurred on regional roads, where 217 accidents took place, representing 42.30 percent of the total incidents. In comparison, 163 accidents occurred on national highways, 62 on rural roads, and 71 on urban roads.
Looking at the nature of these incidents, 195 accidents occurred after vehicles lost control, 126 were head-on collisions, 106 involved vehicles running over or hitting pedestrians, and 78 were rear-end collisions.
Dhaka Division recorded the highest numbers, with 144 deaths in 172 accidents, while Barisal Division recorded the lowest, with 14 deaths in 15 accidents. Bogura district saw the highest fatality toll with 37 deaths. In Dhaka city, 48 accidents caused 23 deaths and injured 54 people.
RSF pointed out that the majority of accidents occur because drivers lose control of vehicles due to excessive speed. To control this, they recommended monitoring speed through technology and providing motivational training to drivers.
Moreover, pedestrian fatalities are climbing because of the reckless speed of vehicles and a lack of awareness among pedestrians, prompting the organization to recommend extensive awareness campaigns on mass media and social media.
The report identified the primary causes of road accidents as defective vehicles and roads, reckless speed, drivers’ inefficiency, physical and mental illness of drivers, unspecified working hours, low-speed vehicles operating on highways, reckless motorcycle driving by youth, disobedience of traffic laws, weak traffic management, capacity deficits of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), and extortion in the public transport sector.
To guarantee road safety, RSF recommended reconstituting the National Road Safety Council, reforming the structures of the BRTA, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), and the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), mandating modern safety technology in motor vehicles, withdrawing expired vehicles, and strengthening institutional initiatives to produce skilled drivers.
Moreover, RSF said introducing modern company-based bus services in Dhaka through route rationalization, constructing service roads on highways for low-speed vehicles, appointing gatekeepers at all railway crossings, and allocating financial resources in the national budget to raise awareness among road users.
