Fatalities increased by 7.5pc, injuries by 17.73pc
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The country saw more road accidents and casualties in the immediate past year compared with 2023, a report of the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh revealed on Saturday.
At least 8,543 people were killed and 12,608 others were injured in 6,359 road crashes across Bangladesh in 2024, according to the report.
Of those killed, 536 were children.
In 2023, at least 7,902 people were killed and 10,372 others were injured in 6,261 road crashes.
Compared with 2023, the percentage of deaths increased by 7.5 per cent, injuries by 17.73 per cent and road crashes by 1.54 per cent in 2024.听
In 2024, motorcycle involved the highest number of crashes regarding the vehicle-wise categorisation with at least 2,329 motorcycle-related accidents, accounting for the 36.62 per cent of the total road crashes. These accidents killed 2,570 people accounting for the 30.08 per cent of the total deaths, and injured 3,151 others accounting for 24.99 per cent of the total injured.
Same year, at least 497 railways accidents killed 512 people and injured 315 others, while at least 118 waterways accidents killed 182 people and injured 267 others with 155 remained missing.
Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh secretary general Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury published the annual report, prepared on the basis of media reports, at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters鈥� Unity, said a press release issued by it.
The association put down the surge of road crashes and resulting casualties to the massive increase in motorcycles over the past decade from 15 lakh to 60 lakh and also to the increasing number of smaller vehicles like battery-run rickshaws and their unchecked movement on roads and highways.听
The report also mentioned the occupations of those died in the road crashes that, among others, include: 1,637 transport workers, including the drivers, 1,009 pedestrians, 114 leaders and activists of different political parties, 434 students, 99 teachers, 68 members of law enforcement agencies, 21 journalists, 15 physicians, and 12 freedom fighters.
Following motorcycle-related accidents, trucks, pickups and covered vans were involved in 23.33 per cent crashes, followed by 16.56 per cent battery-powered rickshaws and 鈥榚asy bikes鈥�, 13.45 per cent buses, 7.37 per cent improvised three-wheeler nasimon and karimon, Mahindra (tractors), and human haulers known as laguna, 6.21 per cent cars-jeep-microbuses, and 5.57 per cent CNG-powered auto-rickshaws.
Regarding the types of accidents, most incidents accounting for 50.84 per cent of the total occurred by running over pedestrians or ramming into other vehicles, followed by 24.39 per cent by head-on collisions, 18.92 per cent by falling into ditches as drivers lost control on the vehicles, 4.99 per cent by other reasons, 0.31 per cent by scarves getting entangled into wheels, and 0.73 per cent by collision between trains and other road transports.
As for the location of the crashes, the highest 35.81 per cent incidents took place on feeder roads, followed by 35.67 per cent on national highways, and 21.66 per cent on regional highways.
Out of all crashes, 4.93 per cent occurred in Dhaka city and 1.2 per cent in Chattogram city.
The association in its report observed that the surge of smaller vehicles significantly contributed to the increase in road accidents by 7.31 per cent on feeder roads and 0.81 per cent on national highways.
Mozammel Haque said that even after the political changeover, no structural changes came in the transport sector, while violation of traffic laws, including extortion and movement of fitness defying vehicles, went unabated.听
As evidence, the association cited December 2024 statistics, mentioning that at least 539 people were killed and 764 more injured in 504 road crashes, said a Road Safety Foundation report published on Saturday.
Motorcycles were involved in the highest 41.86 per cent of these incidents killing the highest 38.21 per cent people among those died in road crashes in the past month.
The association urged the government to prioritise road safety, enact a road safety law, increase budget allocations for road safety, implement the existing laws, and establish good governance in the road transport sector.
