April road accident stats: over 500 fatalities & 1,268 injured

In April, road accidents claimed the lives of 510 people and injured 1,268 others across Bangladesh, according to the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association. The report, released on May 13, details data from 527 road accidents nationwide during the month.

Chittagong division witnessed the highest number of accidents, with 135 incidents resulting in 137 deaths and 263 injuries. In contrast, Mymensingh division experienced the fewest accidents, with 17 incidents causing 18 fatalities and 64 injuries.

Besides road accidents, 54 rail incidents caused 49 deaths and 11 injuries, while five waterway accidents resulted in four fatalities. Combined, there were 586 accidents across roads, railways, and waterways, resulting in 563 deaths and 1,279 injuries.

The Passenger Welfare Association's secretary-general, Md. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, who communicated the findings, emphasized that these figures are based on media monitoring and that actual casualties may be significantly higher due to unreported cases.

Read More: Gazette issued 96 more candidates appointing 27th BCS deprived

The report highlights that victims included various groups: 8 law enforcement officers, 106 drivers, 82 pedestrians, 47 transport workers, 81 students, 12 teachers, 63 women, 54 children, 3 doctors, 1 journalist, 1 lawyer, and 9 political party activists. Among the deceased were 1 police officer, 1 air force member, 2 border guards, 3 doctors, 99 drivers, 82 pedestrians, and others from various professions.

Accident analysis shows 38.51% occurred on national highways, 31.49% on regional highways, and 22.96% on feeder roads. Urban areas like Dhaka accounted for 5.69%, Chittagong 0.75%, and 0.56% at railway crossings.

Key causes identified include unregulated movement of motorcycles and electric rickshaws on highways, poor road signage and lighting, sudden bus movements at railway crossings, lack of road dividers and pedestrian facilities, vehicle defects, driver negligence, and traffic law violations.

The association recommended technological enhancements in fare collection, halting import and registration of motorcycles and electric rickshaws, street lighting improvements, driver training programs, digital vehicle fitness certification, enforcement of traffic laws, establishing service lanes on major highways, and launching a dedicated road accident research unit within the Ministry of Road Transport.

These measures aim to improve road safety, reduce fatalities, and reform the transport sector comprehensively.