Road accidents killed 589 people in March: Road Safety Foundation report
During the month of March 589 people lost their lives in 458 road accidents across Bangladesh, according to a report of the Road Safety Foundation.
Another 747 people were injured in the accidents that took place in March.
Among the deceased 61 were women and 96 children. Also, 221 people were killed in 176 motorcycle accidents, which is 36.52% of the total deaths.
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One hundred and sixty two pedestrians were killed in accidents, which is 26.50% of the total deaths. On the otherhand, 73 drivers and assistants of vehicles were killed, which is 12.39% of all deaths.
During the same period 19 people were killed in five boat accidents. At least 17 people have been killed and eight others injured in 11 railway accidents.
The report states that the reasons behind road accidents include three wheeled vehicles, reckless speeding, driver incompetence and physical and mental illness; no fixed payment or work hours, low-speed vehicles on highways; reckless motorcycling by young people; lack of awareness about traffic laws, lack of BRTA capacity, poor traffic management; and extortion in the public transport sector.
The study recommends taking up initiatives to increase skilled drivers, fixing work hours and payment, increasing BRTA's capacity, ensuring uninterrupted application of traffic laws by transport owners, workers, passengers and pedestrians; introducing separate lanes (service lanes) for low speed vehicles on the highway, constructing road dividers on all highways in phases, stopping extortion on public transport, reviving railways and waterways, and implementing "Road Transport Act-2018".
An average of 19 people were killed in road accidents every day in March which is 13.43% higher than February (16.75), reads a press release.
Accidents involving high-speed vehicles, including trucks, and motorcycles have increased dramatically.
In this situation, no government initiative is visible. The concerned authorities are not interested in the implementation of "Road Transport Act-2018", reads the release.
To improve this situation, it is necessary to formulate and implement sustainable road transport strategies. This requires the political will of the government, adds the statement.
