Pedestrians make up majority of road accident victims in Dhaka: Study

It was midday on a busy Sunday. A speeding Ramzan Paribahan bus from Demra Staff Quarters area suddenly came to a halt opposite to Mouchak Market in Dhaka, with another from the same company stopping abruptly behind it as both appeared to be racing recklessly to pick up more passengers.

At that moment, 45-year-old Synthia Islam, who was standing on the edge of the main road, was forced to jump onto the nearby footpath out of fear. She narrowly escaped being run over. Shaken and unable to speak at first, she eventually shared her harrowing experience.

"Most footpaths in Dhaka are in a dire state and not suitable for pedestrians. On top of that, vehicles drive at reckless speeds-- all the burden falls on pedestrians," Synthia said with a sigh.

She was waiting for a bus to Shahbagh at the time. "Drivers race against each other on the roads. That's why pedestrians become victims—some lose their lives while others are left permanently disabled. Families are devastated," Synthia said.

She believes the root cause is the lack of rules and enforcement. "Drivers engage in these deadly races just to complete more trips and pick up more passengers. That's why these accidents happen," the housewife added.

Synthia's words reflect the findings of a recent study conducted in collaboration with the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS).

According to the research, in 2023, 123 people died in road accidents within the DNCC area. Of these, 87% were hit-and-run cases, and 61% of the victims were pedestrians.

Motorcyclists were the next most affected group, comprising 24% of the victims. The study also revealed that 83% of the deceased were male. All the women who died in these accidents were pedestrians.

The study, led by Dr Tanvir Ibn Ali, Surveillance Coordinator for BIGRS in Dhaka North, analysed data collected from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) headquarters between October 2024 and February 2025. This included First Information Reports (FIRs) and written complaints from the DNCC's 25 police stations in 2023.

Airport Police Station Area Deadliest

Researchers received reports of 117 fatal road accidents from DNCC's 25 police stations.

Airport Police Station had the highest number with 13 accidents, followed by Khilkhet (11), Uttara West (10), Mohammadpur and Mirpur (9 each), Turag and Banani (8 each), Hatirjheel and Darus Salam (7 each), Rupnagar and Bhatara (5 each), and several others with lower counts. No fatal road accident reports were received from Bhashantek, Dakshinkhan, Gulshan and Uttar Khan.

Notably, 55% of the deaths occurred in just seven police station areas, with the most fatalities recorded on the east side of the Airport Flyover and Mirpur 1 junction.

Hit-and-Run Incidents

The study shows that most pedestrian deaths in Dhaka are caused by buses and trucks. More fatalities occur at night than during the day. Of the accidents reported, 87% were hit-and-run cases.

Three primary types of collisions led to fatal accidents: pedestrian run-overs (65%), rear-end collisions (37%), and head-on crashes (6%). Collisions with roadside objects, parked vehicles, and during road crossings each accounted for about 1% of the deaths.

Of these, 58% of the collisions involved pedestrians. In the case of motorbike-related deaths, 65% resulted from rear-end collisions.

Who Are the Victims?

In 2023, 61% of the 123 people killed in road accidents in Dhaka North were pedestrians, according to the report.

The breakdown includes 75 pedestrians, 29 motorcyclists, 8 rickshaw pullers, 6 CNG auto-rickshaw passengers, 3 car passengers, and 2 bicyclists.

The report says three out of every five road fatalities in Dhaka are pedestrians, and one in every four is a motorcyclist.

Among the deceased, 83% were men. Of the 118 individuals for whom data were available, 98 were male and 20 were female. All 20 female victims were pedestrians, as were 50 of the 98 male victims.

Men accounted for four out of every five road deaths, while two out of every five pedestrian fatalities were women.

Most fatalities occurred among those aged 20–49. Specifically, 26 were aged 30–39, 24 aged 40–49, 21 aged 20–29, and 14 aged 50–59. Seven children were also killed, alongside one individual aged 70–79 and another over 80. Pedestrian fatalities spanned all age groups, with the highest number in the 40–49 bracket.

Nighttime Deadliest

The study noted that more people die per hour during the night. Twelve people died between 11 pm and midnight. Other high-risk time slots include 8–9 pm (9 deaths) and 4–5 pm (7 deaths).

Which Vehicles Are to Blame?

In 2023, buses were responsible for hitting 17 pedestrians, one bicycle, four buses, two CNGs, and five motorbikes. Trucks hit 15 pedestrians, one truck, three CNGs, 17 motorbikes and four rickshaws.

Four-wheeled vehicles like sedans, SUVs, and microbuses struck seven pedestrians, two motorbikes, and one rickshaw. Motorbikes hit six pedestrians, one bus, and one four-wheeler. CNGs collided with four pedestrians, one bicycle, one other CNG and three rickshaws.

Rickshaws were responsible for just one collision with a motorbike over the entire year.

Of the 49 pedestrian fatalities reviewed, 17 were caused by buses, 15 by trucks, 7 by four-wheelers, 6 by motorbikes, and 4 by CNGs. In other words, one in every three pedestrian deaths involved a bus.

For motorcyclists, the majority of fatalities were caused by trucks (19 out of 29), followed by buses (5), four-wheelers (2) and motorbike-on-motorbike crashes (1). Two-thirds of these deaths were due to truck collisions.

Road Users Globally at Risk

According to the World Health Organization's Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023, at least seven people die in road crashes globally every three minutes. Though 60% of vehicles are in low- and middle-income countries, these countries account for 92% of all road deaths.

In Bangladesh, WHO estimates 86 people die daily in road crashes—underscoring the dire state of road safety in the country.

Dhaka's population density and economic activity are growing rapidly. Around 35% of Dhaka residents travel by bus, 5% by motorbike, 1% by bicycle, and 23% on foot—highlighting the significant risk to a large portion of road users.

Recommendations

The study calls for prioritising pedestrian safety to improve overall road safety in Dhaka. Recommendations include ensuring walkable footpaths, zebra crossings, speed bumps, and pedestrian refuge islands.

It also suggests creating narrow lanes and slow-speed zones around schools and pedestrian-heavy areas, increasing designated bus stops, and redesigning existing ones to be more efficient and passenger-friendly.

Given that buses and heavy vehicles are responsible for most injuries and deaths, the study recommends reducing their speed and addressing the dangers they pose.

Improving police training for investigating hit-and-run cases is also advised. The report notes that if drivers believe they can escape punishment after killing someone, they will not be deterred from driving recklessly.

Study Purpose

When asked about the reason behind the research, Dr Tanvir Ibn Ali said, "Police document accident data, but beyond legal proceedings, they don't really use it. We want to highlight how this data can be useful for road safety too. From the data, we get a complete picture. It helps us identify priority areas."

He went on to say, "We're seeing that most deaths are caused by buses and trucks, and that certain junctions are more dangerous than others. Since we don't have unlimited resources, we need to prioritise where to change infrastructure and who is most at risk. For law enforcement, knowing that motorbikes are causing more deaths or which areas see the most accidents helps them take targeted action."

Dr Tanvir said the data will assist policymakers and legislators, as it provides concrete evidence upon which decisions can be made. A broader study covering all of Dhaka from 2021 to 2023 is currently underway, he added.