At least 103 people, including nine women and 13 children, were killed and 424 others injured in road accidentsduring the eight-day Eid-ul-Azha vacation until Friday (Sept 16).
National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads & Railways (NCPSRR) revealed the statistic in a media release on Saturday. The NCPSRR made the report based on reports published in online version of different newspapers, online news portals, news agencies and news aired by TV channels.
The report said the causalities took place on roads, national highways and regional roads across the country, including capital Dhaka, during the period from 9 September.
Though the government announced public holidays from September 11, virtually the eid vacation started on September 9 as September 8 was the last working day, it added.
According to the report, four people were killed and 94 others injured on September 9 while at least 22 people killed and 53 injured on September 10, nine killed and 44 injured on September 11 and 10 more killed, 39 other injured on September 12.
Besides, 10 people were killed and 17 injured on September 13, the eid day, while 19 killed and 51 injured on September 14, six killed and 13 injured on September 15 and 23 killed and 113 injured on the last day of the eid vacation on September 16.
The NCPSRR found five major reasons behind the huge causalities in road accidents-reckless driving to make up the time lost in tailbacks, lack of sincerity of traffic police in performing their duties during the long vacation, losing attention by drivers due to pressure of passengers to drive fast, lack of physical and mental fitness of drivers for additional trips to cope with the huge passenger load and drivers tendency to flout traffic rules in overtaking.
