As many as 641 people, including 84 women and 97 children, were killed and 1364 others injured in some 528 road accidents across the country in the last month of May, according to the Road Safety Foundation on Monday.
Of the deceased, 279 were killed in 248 motorcycle accidents, which is the highest involving a vehicle. The deaths caused by motorcycle accidents are 43.52 per cent of the total, while the motorcycle accident rate is 46.78 per cent, the report says.
At least 119 pedestrians were killed in road accidents across the country, which is 18.56 per cent of the total deaths. A total of 91 drivers and assistants of the vehicles were killed, which is 14.19 per cent of the total, according to the report.
At least four people have been killed and two others have remained missing in seven boat accidents. At least 17 people were killed and three others injured in 13 railway accidents, reads the report.
The Road Safety Foundation compiled the report based on information from nine national dailies, seven online news portals and electronic media.
The Foundation's observation and analysis states that 217 (41.09 per cent) of the accidents occurred on national highways, 191 (36.17 per cent) on regional roads, 74 (14 per cent) on rural roads and 46 (8.71 per cent) on urban roads.
A total of 914 vehicles were involved in the accidents that occurred in May. Dhaka division witnessed the highest number of accidents and deaths, with 159 killed in 127 accidents, according to the Foundation report,
An average of 20.67 people was killed in road accidents every day in May while an average of 18 people was killed every day in April. May witnessed a 14.19 per cent increase of road accidents compared to April 2022, the report says.
A total of 489 working age people between 18 and 65 years old were killed in the accident, which is 76.28 per cent of the total deaths, according to the Foundation report.
