Call for immediate road safety act to halve road deaths by 2030
A new and standalone Road Safety Act, he said, is essential for reducing casualties by 50%, especially as individuals aged 5–29 remain the most vulnerable.
Experts at a roundtable in Dhaka have urged the government to enact a comprehensive and effective Road Safety Act without delay, warning that Bangladesh risks missing its target of reducing road-crash deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030.
The event, titled "Road Safety Law for Sustainable Development: Bangladesh Context and Way Forward," was organised yesterday by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh.
Participants pointed out that the World Health Organization classifies road crashes as a preventable non-communicable disease. Under SDG 3.6, countries must cut road fatalities by half by 2030 — a goal experts say Bangladesh cannot meet without decisive, immediate legislation.
Delivering the keynote presentation, Mohammad Wali Noman, manager of the Road Safety Injury and Prevention Programme at the National Heart Foundation, said more than 5,000 people die in road crashes each year, with thousands more injured.
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Citing BRTA and research findings, he noted that around 70% of crashes stem from speeding and inadequate safety measures.
Noman stressed that adopting the Safe System Approach—safe roads, safe speeds, safe road users, and safe vehicles—as outlined in the Global Plan for the Second Decade of Action, can dramatically reduce casualties, as seen in many countries.
Referring to a 2023 study by CIPRB and the National Heart Foundation, he noted that most victims first seek treatment at primary health centres, which lack adequate emergency infrastructure.
Road-crash patients also occupy 16.2% of hospital beds, staying an average of 16 days and spending around Tk31,683 on treatment and related costs—placing significant long-term strain on both families and the health system.
Speaking as chief guest, BRTA Chairman Abu Momtaz Sad Uddin Ahmed said road safety "is not the responsibility of any single institution" and requires coordinated action by researchers, doctors, engineers, transport owners and workers, and local authorities.
A new and standalone Road Safety Act, he said, is essential for reducing casualties by 50%, especially as individuals aged 5–29 remain the most vulnerable.
Presiding over the event, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury said road-crash deaths and disabilities are overwhelming health facilities and driving families into financial distress.
He added that the Road Transport Act 2018 and its 2022 regulations lack clear provisions for post-crash response, hindering timely care, making a comprehensive Road Safety Act "indispensable."
M Khalid Mahmud, Manager of BRAC's Road Safety Programme, delivered the welcome remarks.
