Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Road crashes claimed 585 lives across the country in January this year, according to a report by Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.
Forty-six people were killed in 44 railway accidents, while 11 were killed and one was injured in 13 waterway accidents, read the report published Saturday.
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers’ welfare organisation, put together the report after analysing accident reports published in the country’s national and regional dailies and online media during January.
A total of 642 people were killed and 978 others injured in 650 accidents on roads, waterways and railways across the country. Meanwhile, 205 people died and 114 others were injured in some 214 motorbike accidents.
Among those killed in road accidents in January, 206 people were drivers, 109 pedestrians, 35 transport workers, 53 students, 10 teachers, 13 members of law enforcement agencies, 115 women, 62 children, five journalists, one freedom fighter, two lawyers, three engineers and 14 activists of different political parties.
Among the vehicles involved in the accidents were 12.5 per cent buses, 24.75 per cent pick-up vans, covered vans and lorries, 5.2 per cent private cars, jeeps and microbuses, 5.88 per cent CNG-run auto-rickshaws, 27.32 per cent motorbikes, 14.58 per cent battery-run human haulers and 9.92 per cent three-wheeler vehicles.
Of the accidents, 29.51 per cent occurred on national highways, 38.61 per cent on regional roads and 24.45 per cent on other roads. Besides, 5.22 per cent of accidents occurred in Dhaka city, 1.18 per cent in Chattogram city and 1.01 per cent on rail tracks.
The association blamed reckless driving, dangerous overtaking and movement of unfit vehicles, unskilled drivers and helpers, plying of slow-moving three-wheelers and human haulers on highways, using headphones or mobile phones, using drugs, illegal occupation of footpaths, poor traffic management, and violation of traffic rules for the accidents and deaths.
