Bangladesh, a South Asian nation with a large population, has been struggling with the alarming increase in traffic accidents in recent years. Out of the 17 SDGs, Bangladesh has made considerable progress on various sectors except road mishaps. Road crashes continue to rise in Bangladesh despite government steps to halve the number of injuries and deaths from such crashes by 2030 as per the target of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.
The nation has formidable obstacles in ensuring road safety due to the quick urbanization rate and rising number of automobiles on the roads. We delve deeply into what the causes are and how they can be stopped in order to present a comparative study on road accidents in Bangladesh, examine the losses incurred, discuss ongoing road development initiatives, analyze the reasons behind accidents, and suggest measures to be taken to curb this growing menace.
Comparative Study: Bangladesh and Global Trends: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 1.35 million people worldwide lose their lives in traffic accidents each year, with low- and middle-income nations bearing the brunt of this toll. Unfortunately, Bangladesh is included in this group of countries where traffic accidents are now a significant public health issue.
According to recent data from the Bangladesh traffic Transport Authority (BRTA), there have been more traffic accidents in the nation on average, with thousands of injuries and 5,000 fatalities reported each year. The fact that these accidents frequently involve pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcycle riders-three of the most vulnerable road users-only make the matter worse. Compared to global trends, Bangladesh has a high rate of fatal traffic accidents. Bangladesh was one of the world’s worst nations for drivers in 2022, with an estimated 6,284 road fatalities. The global average of 18.2 road fatalities per 100,000 people is much lower than this.
According to a recent report of Bangladesh JatriKalyan Samity, a passenger welfare platform, as many as 299 people were killed and 544 others injured in 277 road accidents across the country in 15 days during Eid-Ul-Azha 2023.
Road Development Initiatives: The Bangladeshi government has started taking many steps to improve the nation’s road infrastructure and lower accident rates because it recognizes the urgent need to address road safety. In a landmark effort to improve road safety and curtail fatalities and injuries resulting from accidents, the Bangladesh government has unveiled the first dedicated road safety project in South Asia. The ongoing infrastructure development initiatives seek to build new roadways, expand existing ones, and increase their capacity. In order to effectively regulate traffic flow, the government has also concentrated on introducing contemporary technology and intelligent transportation systems.
Reasons behind Road Accidents: Multiple factors contribute to the alarming rate of road accidents in Bangladesh. Some of the primary reasons include:
1. Reckless Driving: Unsafe driving practices, such as speeding, rash overtaking, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated or otherwise impaired, continue to be a major contributor to accidents. The main factor contributing to road accidents in Bangladesh, according to the Bangladesh Road Safety Foundation (RSF), is careless driving. 82% of Bangladesh’s traffic accidents in 2022 featured irresponsible driving. Driving recklessly can have serious repercussions. In Bangladesh in 2022, reckless driving was the cause of 6,284 fatalities. Additionally, it resulted in billions of Takas in economic damage and thousands of injuries.
2. Poor Road Conditions: In Bangladesh, a lot of the roads are poorly maintained, have poor lighting, and lack the appropriate signage, which puts other road users in danger. Poor road conditions are the second most common reason for accidents on Bangladesh’s roads, according to the Bangladesh Road Safety Foundation (RSF). 15% of all traffic accidents in Bangladesh in 2022 involved bad road conditions. Devastating effects can result from bad road conditions. In Bangladesh, 960 individuals died as a result of dangerous road conditions in the same year. Additionally, it resulted in billions of Takas in economic damage and thousands of injuries.
3. Insufficient Enforcement: Drivers do not fear the repercussions of their acts because of lax law enforcement and light penalties for moving offences. In Bangladesh, 628 individuals died in 2022 as a result of lax law enforcement. Additionally, it resulted in billions of Takas in economic damage and thousands of injuries.
4. Lack of Awareness and Education: A significant portion of road users, especially pedestrians and cyclists, lack proper awareness of traffic rules and safety practices, leading to higher accident risks.
To effectively address the issue of road accidents, several measures need to be implemented. This included strengthening Law enforcement, enhancing road infrastructure, public awareness campaigns, driver training and licensing and promoting non-motorized transportation.
The economy and public safety in Bangladesh is still seriously threatened by traffic accidents. While ongoing road improvement projects are admirable, eliminating the underlying causes of collisions necessitates a multifaceted strategy and by putting these abovementioned measures into place, Bangladesh can significantly improve its citizens’ road safety while also lowering the alarmingly high number of accidents and the resulting costs.
The writer is Assistant Secretary, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) and Member Secretary, Agargaon Administrative Area Puja Celebration Parishad
Development is incomplete sans ensuring road safety (observerbd.com)
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