At least 502 people were killed and 1,232 others were injured in 497 road crashes across Bangladesh in August, according to a report published by the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh issued on Wednesday.
A large percentage of both the deaths and accidents involved motorcycle accidents during this time, the report notes.
Total 176 people (35.05 per cent of total deaths) were killed and 144 people (11.68 per cent of total injured) were injured in 165 (33.19 per cent) road accidents involving motorcycles.
Additionally, 34 people were killed and seven others were injured in 34 railway accidents.
In 21 waterways accidents, 27 people were killed, 22 injured, and 13 remained missing.
The association issued a press release with a summary of their monthly report, which was based on media reports.
Of the fatalities, 149 were transport workers, including drivers, 82 were pedestrians, 51 were students, 11 were political leaders and activists and seven were teachers.
Of the fatalities, 38 were children.
Division-wise, 132, the highest number of road accidents, occurred in Dhaka division killing 128 people.
In Barishal division, the lowest number of road accidents, 15, happened, killing 14 people.
Regarding the nature of the accidents, the highest, 44.06 per cent, were caused when vehicles crushed onto other things. Next comes 30.38 per cent by head-on collisions; 19.19 per cent by vehicles falling into roadside ditches as the drivers lost control over the vehicles; 3.82 per cent by other reasons; 1.2 per cent by collision with between trains; and 0.6 per cent by scarves getting entangled into wheels.
According to the report, the highest, 45.07 per cent road accidents took place on national highways, followed by 26.55 per cent on regional highways and 20.32 per cent on feeder roads.
Out of total accidents, 5.03 per cent occurred in Dhaka Metropolitan City and 1.81 per cent in Chattogram Metropolitan City.
The association mainly blamed dilapidated roads, unchecked movement of motorbikes, battery-run rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, 鈥榥asimon鈥� and 鈥榢arimon鈥�, lack of road signals, marking, lights, medians and signs for the accidents.