Over 30% of road deaths linked to motorbike crashes, reckless riding blamed

Infographic: TBS

Two youths were killed on Friday night when their motorcycle collided head-on with a car and fell off the Kalshi Flyover onto the road below in Dhaka's Pallabi area. Police said both vehicles were speeding, and reckless driving led to the accident.

While road crashes have increased nationwide over the past two weeks, largely due to Eid travel, around 30% of road fatalities are linked to motorbike crashes, according to data from the Road Safety Foundation and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority. 

Police and road safety experts cited reckless riding and overspeeding as key causes behind the alarming trend.

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare organisation, reported that at least 239 people were killed and 516 injured in 215 road crashes across the country between 24 March and 4 April.

"Our report is still being finalised, so we cannot confirm the exact number of motorcycle accidents at this time. However, the figure is expected to be similar to last year," said Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, chairman of Jatri Kalyan Samity.

During the 15 days surrounding last year's Eid-ul-Fitr, 407 people were killed in 399 road crashes. Among these, 165 died in 198 motorcycle accidents — accounting for 49.62% of total accidents and 40.54% of all fatalities during that time.

Data from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) also highlights the growing share of motorcycle-related fatalities. 

In January 2024 alone, 137 out of 404 road crash victims, 33.9%, died in motorbike accidents. The trend continued in the following months: 32.5% in February, 29.3% in March, 30.2% in April, 29.3% in May, and 31% in June. In July, the rate dropped unexpectedly to 26.1%, before rising again to 30.3% in August, 29.1% in September, 29.2% in October, 34.8% in November, and 36.1% in December.

Notably, in January this year, deaths from motorcycle crashes jumped to 43.3%.

Saidur Rahman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation, said reckless riding is one of the main causes of motorcycle-related deaths in Bangladesh. 

"About 58% of motorbike accidents in the country occur due to excessive speed," he said, adding that motorcycle companies also bear some responsibility in this regard, as their promotional videos often encourage reckless riding.

He said, "Motorcycles make up around 71% of all vehicles in Bangladesh, and in most cases, these bikes are ridden by teenagers. Many of them don't even have licences. There is also a widespread tendency not to wear helmets. Even when helmets are used in urban areas, they are often of very poor quality. Teenage riders pass right in front of the police wearing substandard helmets, and yet no action is taken."

Saidur also pointed out the role of law enforcement in this situation, saying, "If proper steps were taken — such as enforcing the use of quality helmets, curbing reckless riding, and preventing multiple pillion passengers — the situation could have improved."

Additional Inspector General of Police (Highway Police) Md Delwar Hossain Mia told TBS, "We are regularly promoting the use of quality helmets and controlled bike speeds via loudspeakers at major highway entry points. Legal action is being taken against those riding without a licence or helmet. A large number of vehicles are also being seized."

He further added, "The police alone cannot solve this issue. Awareness needs to be raised starting from the family level, and across society and individuals alike."

Meanwhile, hospitals in Dhaka have seen a surge in patients injured in road accidents during the Eid holidays, with the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor), commonly known as Pangu Hospital, treating the majority.

Physicians of these hospitals said most of these injuries were caused by accidents involving motorcycles and auto-rickshaws.

From 30 March to 2 April, a total of 412 patients were treated at Nitor following road accidents. Of these, 141 were injured in motorcycle accidents, while the rest were victims of accidents involving other vehicles, according to hospital authorities.

Car driver held after Kalshi flyover motorbike crash 

The victims were identified as Md Tofazzel, 16, a ninth grader from Matikata, Dhaka, and Md Riad Hossain, 18, from Chandpur. 

The crash occurred on Kalshi flyover around 10:30pm on Friday. Both were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared them dead an hour later, said Md Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station.

According to the station's Sub-Inspector Atiku Rahaman, the two had become friends through the online game Free Fire, with Riad visiting Dhaka during the Eid holidays to meet Tofazzel.

The car involved in the crash was seized, and its driver has been arrested, OC Nazrul said.