In January of this year, a total of 559 road accidents in Bangladesh resulted in 487 fatalities and 1,194 injuries, as reported by the Road Safety Foundation. The casualties included 68 women and 57 children.
Motorcycle accidents were the leading cause of death, claiming 196 lives in 208 incidents, representing 40.24% of total fatalities and 37.20% of all accidents. Pedestrians accounted for 27.10% of deaths, while drivers and helpers accounted for 13.75%. Passengers of three-wheelers, such as easy bikes and auto-rickshaws, represented 15.81% of the deaths.
Additionally, bus passengers, truck occupants, and individuals in private cars and microbuses were among the victims. Waterway accidents claimed six lives, and railway accidents resulted in 32 fatalities and 17 injuries.
The report, compiled from various sources including national dailies and online portals, highlighted that 27.90% of accidents occurred on national highways, with the most common accident types being loss of control, head-on collisions, and vehicles hitting pedestrians.
Heavy vehicles were involved in 28.58% of crashes, followed by motorcycles, three-wheelers, and passenger buses. The Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of accidents and fatalities, while Sylhet Division had the lowest toll.
In the capital city, 26 accidents resulted in 18 deaths and 41 injuries. The victims included students, policemen, teachers, doctors, journalists, and various professionals.
The Road Safety Foundation identified several factors contributing to road accidents, including defective vehicles, over-speeding, reckless driving, unfit drivers, lack of traffic law awareness, and poor traffic management. Addressing these issues is crucial to improving road safety in Bangladesh.
