2022 saw highest road accidents since 2015: Jatri Kalyan Samity

At least 6,749 accidents took place in 2022, which is the highest since 2015, reports Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers' welfare organisation.

According to the annual accident observation report of the accident monitoring cell of the organisation, 9,951 people were killed in the accidents while 12,356 were injured.

Earlier in 2015, the organisation reported 6,642 deaths and 21,755 injuries in 6,561 road accidents.

Secretary General of the organisation Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury presented the report in a press conference organised by Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity at Dhaka Reporters Unity's Sagar-Runi Auditorium in Segun Bagicha of the capital on Monday.

He said that this report has been prepared by compiling the accident news published in national, regional and online newspapers of the country.

According to the report, the number of registered vehicles as well as small vehicles, especially motorcycles and easybikes, has increased four times since 2015.

Compared to the casualties in 2021, the number of deaths and injuries is 19.89% and 27.43% higher respectively.

Of the total deceased, 550 people died in 606 rail accidents, 357 people died in 262 riverine accidents and 743 went missing.

A total of 7,617 accidents took place on the road, rail and waterways, which killed 10,858 people and left 12,875 people injured.

Apart from a four times increase in the number of registered vehicles since 2015, small vehicles especially motorcycles, easy bikes and three-wheelers running on the highways defying the government ban, have substantially increased the number of accidents.

The report also said 27.70% of these accidents occurred on national highways, 52.2% on regional highways and 11.88% on feeder roads.

Besides, 5.67% of the total accidents occurred in Dhaka Metropolis, 1.71% in Chattogram Metropolis, and 0.99% at railway crossings.

The highest number of accidents in a single day occurred on 15 July when 43 people were killed and 97 injured in 37 road accidents.

And the least road accident occurred on 6 September. On that day, 12 people were killed and 13 injured in nine road accidents.

The highest single-day death toll in road accidents occurred on 29 July when 44 people died and 83 were injured in 27 road accidents.

To decrease road accidents, the organisation put forward a few suggestions, including actualising the election manifesto of the government regarding road safety, implementing the Road Transport Act 2018 by identifying loopholes in the law and setting up CCTVs, increasing the budget for road safety, creating a road safety unit by the road transport ministry, ensuring proper traffic signs, creating zebra crossings, training drivers, etc.

Former caretaker government advisor and Safe Road and Transport Alliance Chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman and public transport expert Abdul Haque were present at the press conference.