Country’s most highways and roads have become death traps for the travellers with deadly accidents occurring almost on a regular basis. It is startling to note that the number of road crashes increased by 13.47 per cent, while fatalities by 15.70 per cent and injuries by 1.20 per cent in 2021. Reportedly, a total of 6,284 people were killed in 5,371 road accidents across the country in 2021. Out of 6,284, 927 were women and 734 were children.
Last year, motorcycle accidents turned out to be the deadliest ones as those alone caused death to 2,214 people, which is 35.23 per cent of the total deaths.
The government should continue
upgrading all highways to four or
more than four lanes in phases
In the wake of alarming trend of fatal road crash, the government, different non-government organisations, and universities have organised various programmes like seminars, symposiums, workshops and discussions to prevent such fatal road accidents.
Besides, the print and electronic media also continued running stories and editorials that how and in what way we can reinforce road safety and reduce the number of road mishaps.
Apart from these, the government has been implementing massive programmes to build developed road communication infrastructures in the country. It has extended the network of highways to 21,302,08 kilometers, upgraded 453,07 kilometers of national highways to four-lane, constructed or reconstructed 1209 bridges, 5581 culverts, 18 flyovers or overpasses and 27 underpasses.
But reckless driving, poor traffic management, movement of unfit and slow pace vehicles on highways, semiskilled drivers and lack of their physical and mental fitness, undetermined working hours, lack of capability of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, lack of awareness on traffic rules, extortion in the transport sector are contributing to occur road accidents in the country.
We all including transport owners, workers, passengers and pedestrians should work from our respective positions along with the government to prevent road accidents. The government should continue upgrading all highways to four or more than four lanes in phases.
Read more: Three killed in road accidents in Jamalpur
The government and transport owners have to take effective steps for the skill development of drivers, fixing their wages and working hours, enhancing BRTA’s capacity, constructing separate roads for slow paced vehicles and dividers on roads to decrease the number of accidents. Besides, stopping extortion of money and corruption in the transport sector, reducing pressure on roads by improving the services on railways and waterways, and enforcement of the Road Safety Act, 2018 are must to reduce the number of road accidents.
