A total of 596 road accidents occurred across the country in February, resulting in 578 deaths and leaving at least 1,327 people injured.
This information was provided in a report by Road Safety Foundation’s Executive Director, Saidur Rahman, and shared with the media on Saturday (March 8). The foundation compiled the report based on data from nine national newspapers, seven online news portals, various electronic media, and its own sources.
Breakdown of Fatalities by Vehicle Type
The report details the number of deaths based on the type of vehicle involved:
- Motorcyclists and riders: 227
- Bus passengers: 33
- Truck, covered van, pickup, tractor, trolley, drum truck passengers: 56
- Private car and microbus passengers: 22
- Three-wheeler passengers (easy bikes, CNGs, auto-rickshaws, auto-vans, legunas): 92
- Locally made vehicle passengers (Nosimon, Votvoti, Mahindra, TomTom, excavators): 20
- Bicycle and rickshaw riders: 14
Regional Statistics
Among the divisions, Dhaka recorded the highest number of accidents, with 205 incidents leading to 198 deaths. In contrast, Barisal saw the lowest number of accidents, with 34 accidents and 34 fatalities.
At the district level, Dhaka had the most casualties, with 41 accidents resulting in 48 deaths. Meanwhile, Moulvibazar had the fewest casualties, with a few accidents but no fatalities. Additionally, 34 road accidents in Dhaka city led to 27 deaths and 36 injuries.
Causes of Road Accidents
The report identifies several key factors contributing to road accidents, including:
- Faulty vehicles
- Reckless driving and speeding
- Driver inexperience, aggressive behaviour, and health issues
- Unregulated wages and working hours for drivers
- Slow-moving vehicles on highways
- Young and inexperienced motorcyclists riding recklessly
- Lack of public awareness and disregard for traffic laws
- Weak traffic management
- Limited capacity of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA)
- Extortion in the public transport sector
- Recommendations for Road Safety
To reduce road accidents, the Road Safety Foundation has proposed several measures:
- Increase training programs to produce skilled drivers
- Set fixed wages and working hours for drivers
- Strengthen BRTA's capacity
- Ensure strict enforcement of traffic laws for transport owners, drivers, passengers, and pedestrians
- Ban slow-moving vehicles on highways and construct separate service roads for them
- Gradually install road dividers on all highways
- Eliminate extortion in the public transport sector
- Develop and expand railway and waterway transportation to ease pressure on roads
- Implement a sustainable transport strategy
- Ensure full enforcement of the 'Road Transport Act 2018'
By addressing these issues, the report emphasizes the urgent need for improved road safety measures to prevent further loss of lives.
