At least 314 people were killed and 291 others injured in road accidents across the country during the Eid-ul Fitr holiday, according to a report released by Road Safety Foundation (RSF) on Saturday.
The report stated that the casualties were from some 239 road accidents that took place in the 14 days from May 7 to May 20.
Among the deceased, 43 were women and 28 children. Road accidents also took lives of 37 drivers and assistants, according to the report.
The report also showed some 128 accidents claimed 147 lives during the Eid-ul Fitr in 2020, meaning that the fatalities during this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr were a sharp rise from the last year’s.
The RSF prepared the report based on reports of seven national dailies and five online news portals and visual media.
Some 431 vehicles were responsible for the road accidents during this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, said the RSF report.
Of the total deaths, 134 deaths or 42.67 per cent took place in 121 motorcycle crashes during this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, according to the report.
The highest number of road accident deaths occurred in Dhaka division, which is some 103, while in Mymensingh division it was the lowest at 16 during this Eid, the report stated.
About 39.33 per cent accidents occurred on highways, 37.23 per cent on regional roads, 14.22 on village and 7.53 on urban roads, the RSF report showed.
Besides, the report added, the number of waterway accidents was four where three people died and seven others injured. One was killed in one railway accident.
Lack of skills, mental and physical illness, irregular wages and working hours, unfit vehicles, rash driving, inadequate benefits for drivers, slow movement of vehicles on the highways, reckless bike ride by youths, improper traffic management system and lack of awareness about traffic laws were responsible for the accidents, the RSF said in the report.
The report suggested increasing skilled drivers, strengthening the capability of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and enforcement of the existing laws to check road accidents in the country.