Road accidents killed 19 people every day in March: Report


FE ONLINE REPORT | Published: April 04, 2022 13:08:12 | Updated: April 04, 2022 18:18:14


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Some 589 people were killed and 647 others injured in road accidents across the country in March this year.

It means, on average, roughly 19 people died in road mishaps every day in the last month.

During the period, a total of 458 road crashes took place while the number of accidents involving motorcycles was the highest, according to a report published by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).

Among the dead, there were 61 women and 96 children.

Some 221 people died in as many as 176 motorcycle crashes in the last month, which is equivalent to 37.52 per cent of the total deaths, said the report, released on Monday.

The highest number of accidents occurred in Dhaka division with the number of deaths also being the highest.

Of the total deaths, the highest 141 people were killed in Dhaka division alone in 117 mishaps, the report showed.

The lowest number of fatalities was reported in Sylhet division. A total of 35 people were killed in 26 accidents in the division.

Of the total, 167 accidents occurred on highways, 179 on regional roads, 68 on rural roads, 39 on urban roads and 5 on others.

Besides, 17 were killed and eight others injured in 11 incidents on railway tracks while 19 others died from five incidents on waterways during the period.

The RSF prepared the report based on news content of seven national dailies, five online news portals, and electronic media.

Some 831 vehicles were responsible for the road accidents that took place during the period.

It attributed the road crashes to unfit vehicles, rash driving, lack of skill, mental and physical sickness, 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.

The RSF has also recommended increasing skilled drivers, strengthening the capability of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and enforcement of the existing laws to check road accidents in the country.

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