14 deaths a day as 423 killed in road crashes in September: RSF

At least 423 people were killed and 674 others injured in 442 road crashes across Bangladesh in September, with an average of 14 deaths reported every day, according to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).

The deceased included 73 women and 61 children, said the report, which was prepared based on information from nine national dailies, 17 national and regional online news portals, electronic media and RSF's own sources.

Motorcycle crashes accounted for 154 of the accidents, or 34.84%, killing 139 people, or 32.86% of the total fatalities.

Pedestrians accounted for 106 deaths, or 25.05%, while 53 drivers and helpers were killed, making up 12.52% of the total fatalities.

Meanwhile, 16 people were killed, seven injured and four remained missing in 11 waterway accidents during the month. Another 19 people were killed and six injured in 23 railway track accidents.

Among vehicle users killed in road crashes, 139 were motorcycle riders, 88 three-wheeler passengers, 26 bus passengers, 21 occupants of microbuses, private cars, ambulances and jeeps, 19 occupants of trucks, covered vans and trolleys, 18 passengers of locally made vehicles and six bicyclists.

The report said 145 crashes, or 32.80%, occurred on national highways; 178 (40.27%) on regional roads; 56 (12.66%) on rural roads; and 63 (14.25%) on city roads.

Of the crashes, 168 (38%) involved vehicles losing control, 109 (24.66%) involved pedestrians being run over or hit, 98 (22.17%) were head-on collisions, and 61 (13.80%) involved vehicles hitting the rear of another vehicle.

A total of 691 vehicles were involved in the accidents, including 162 motorcycles, 129 three-wheelers and 113 buses.

Dhaka division recorded the highest number of crashes, at 132, with 134 deaths. Sylhet recorded the lowest, with 20 crashes and 21 deaths. Gazipur district had the highest number of deaths among individual districts, with 38.

In the capital, 52 road accidents left 21 people dead and 47 injured during the month.

The RSF called for technology-based monitoring to control vehicle speeds and motivational training for drivers.

It also urged the government to conduct extensive road-safety awareness campaigns through mass media and social media to reduce pedestrian deaths.

The organisation identified defective vehicles and roads, reckless speeding, drivers' risky attitudes, lack of skills and physical or mental fitness, undefined wages and working hours, the movement of slow-moving vehicles on highways, reckless motorcycle riding by young people and inadequate public awareness of traffic laws as major causes of road crashes.