Some 5,431 people were killed and 7,379 others injured in road accidents from January to December 2020 across the country.
During the period, a total of 4,735 road accidents took place, according to an annual report prepared by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).
Of them, the number of accidents involving motorcycles was the highest
Among the deceased, 871 were women and 649 children.
Some 683 drivers and their assistants, comprising 12.57 per cent of total deaths, have also been killed in road crashes during the period.
The report also says some 1,512 pedestrians, 27.84 per cent of the total deaths, were killed.
Some 1,463 people died in 1,378 motorcycle crashes in the last year which is 26. 93 per cent of the total deaths, said the report, released on Friday.
The RSF prepared the report based on news items of seven national dailies, five online news portals and visual media.
The highest number of accidents and deaths took place in Dhaka division.
Some 25.08 per cent deaths were reported in 25.52 per cent accidents in Dhaka division, the report showed.
The lowest one was in Sylhet division with 6.88 per cent accidents and 7.0 percent deaths.
Total 1,811 accidents occurred on highways, 1,605 on regional roads, 617 on village roads, 644 on urban roads and 58 on other places (ferry docks, river banks, crop fields and driving training fields).
Unfit vehicles, rash driving, lack of skills, 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 were responsible for the accidents, the RSF observed.
The organisation suggested increasing skilled drivers, strengthening the capability of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and enforcing the existing laws to minimise road accidents in the country.
