Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
People across the country are alarmed over the rise in fatal road accidents, significantly highway accidents, in recent days.
They termed the roads, streets and highways as the death traps following the tragic accidents that took place one after another due to reckless driving, plying of unfit vehicle and irregularities of the traffic management.
According to media reports, at least 19 people were killed and 35 injured in the city and several other districts on Thursday alone, while a vernacular daily reported that around 220 people were killed in last 21 days.
The reports said, more than 15 people were killed everyday in the month of February while 13 in January this year.
Besides, data available with the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR), 816 people were killed and 2,055 injured this year, till Thursday.
There were 644 accidents in the first two months of last year, causing 696 deaths and 2,162 injuries. The daily average last year was 11 deaths, while in 2017, so far every day an average
of 15 people have been killed. Meanwhile, 427 people were killed and 1,094 also injured in 372 road accidents in February while 416 killed and 1012 hurt in 350 incidents in January, NCPSRR report said.
As per the report of Nirapad Sarok Chai (NSC), at least 57,000 people were killed and 93,506 injured in 51,669 road accidents across the country in last 12 years.
Even many numbers of casualties in such incidents remained out of the records of the government, the police and the other rights bodies, said experts and law enforcers.
According to recent records, 3,412 people were killed and 8,512 injured in 2,998 road accidents in 2016, 6,823 killed and 14,026 hurt in 4,592 incidents in 2015, 798 killed and 18,113 injured in 5,997 road crushes in 2014 and 6,813 killed and 11,528 injured in 4,756 accidents in 2013 respectively.
In 2012, about 5,954 people were killed and 12,908 injured in 5,954 incidents, 5,928 killed and 11,430 hurt in 4,959 incidents in 2011, while 2,646 killed and 1803 hurt in 3107 incidents in 2010.
The record said, about 2,958 people were killed and 3,456 were injured in 30,565 incidents in 2009, 3,765 killed and 3,233 hurt in 4,869 incidents in 2008 and 3,749 killed and 3,273 hurt in 4769 in 2007.
Besides, 3,193 people died and 2,409 were hurt in 3,794 incidents in 2006 and 3,187 killed and 2,755 injured in 3,955 road incidents in 2005.
However, the Police Headquarters’ report said that around 2,500 people have been killed in 2016.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told the Parliament that the authorities fined Tk 84,926,812 in 95,579 cases and jailed 618 people in different terms from January of 2014 to January of 2015.
Laboni Akter, a resident of Mirpur area, told The New Nation on Thursday, “Now the roads and streets have become death traps.”
The Accident Research Institute (ARI) Assistant Professor Kazi Shifun Newaz said that accidents were mostly caused by overtaking and over-speeding.
“ARI’s findings suggest that for the lack of emergency response facilities, as much as 45 per cent of the victims are killed after going to hospitals,” he said.
If there were immediate primary treatment facilities after accidents, many victims’ lives could be saved, he added.
The ARI researcher Kazi Shifun said this deadliest rise of accidents could worsen in the future if they cannot be brought under control.
To prevent this, major highways should be made four-lane, driving licences should only be issued to competent and knowledgeable drivers, more training should be offered to all workers, he added.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Secretary Sawkat Ali said they had already instructed transport owners to be disciplined. A number of safety measures have been taken to make highways safer.
Mozzammel Haque, Secretary General of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, said there is no sign of discipline on highways.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque said that he had already given instruction to the Superintendent of Police (SP) in all districts and traffic divisions of all metropolitan cities to train the drivers and helpers to take control over the vehicles to tackle road accidents.
NCPSRR General Secretary Ashish Kumar Dey said there has been a sudden increase in the number of three-wheelers and locally-built vehicles on highways. Drivers are driving recklessly in dense fogs on the highways.
Besides, unskilled motorcycle riders, lack of awareness among pedestrians and drivers of small vehicles are responsible for the road accidents.
People across the country are alarmed over the rise in fatal road accidents, significantly highway accidents, in recent days.
They termed the roads, streets and highways as the death traps following the tragic accidents that took place one after another due to reckless driving, plying of unfit vehicle and irregularities of the traffic management.
According to media reports, at least 19 people were killed and 35 injured in the city and several other districts on Thursday alone, while a vernacular daily reported that around 220 people were killed in last 21 days.
The reports said, more than 15 people were killed everyday in the month of February while 13 in January this year.
Besides, data available with the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR), 816 people were killed and 2,055 injured this year, till Thursday.
There were 644 accidents in the first two months of last year, causing 696 deaths and 2,162 injuries. The daily average last year was 11 deaths, while in 2017, so far every day an average
of 15 people have been killed. Meanwhile, 427 people were killed and 1,094 also injured in 372 road accidents in February while 416 killed and 1012 hurt in 350 incidents in January, NCPSRR report said.
As per the report of Nirapad Sarok Chai (NSC), at least 57,000 people were killed and 93,506 injured in 51,669 road accidents across the country in last 12 years.
Even many numbers of casualties in such incidents remained out of the records of the government, the police and the other rights bodies, said experts and law enforcers.
According to recent records, 3,412 people were killed and 8,512 injured in 2,998 road accidents in 2016, 6,823 killed and 14,026 hurt in 4,592 incidents in 2015, 798 killed and 18,113 injured in 5,997 road crushes in 2014 and 6,813 killed and 11,528 injured in 4,756 accidents in 2013 respectively.
In 2012, about 5,954 people were killed and 12,908 injured in 5,954 incidents, 5,928 killed and 11,430 hurt in 4,959 incidents in 2011, while 2,646 killed and 1803 hurt in 3107 incidents in 2010.
The record said, about 2,958 people were killed and 3,456 were injured in 30,565 incidents in 2009, 3,765 killed and 3,233 hurt in 4,869 incidents in 2008 and 3,749 killed and 3,273 hurt in 4769 in 2007.
Besides, 3,193 people died and 2,409 were hurt in 3,794 incidents in 2006 and 3,187 killed and 2,755 injured in 3,955 road incidents in 2005.
However, the Police Headquarters’ report said that around 2,500 people have been killed in 2016.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told the Parliament that the authorities fined Tk 84,926,812 in 95,579 cases and jailed 618 people in different terms from January of 2014 to January of 2015.
Laboni Akter, a resident of Mirpur area, told The New Nation on Thursday, “Now the roads and streets have become death traps.”
The Accident Research Institute (ARI) Assistant Professor Kazi Shifun Newaz said that accidents were mostly caused by overtaking and over-speeding.
“ARI’s findings suggest that for the lack of emergency response facilities, as much as 45 per cent of the victims are killed after going to hospitals,” he said.
If there were immediate primary treatment facilities after accidents, many victims’ lives could be saved, he added.
The ARI researcher Kazi Shifun said this deadliest rise of accidents could worsen in the future if they cannot be brought under control.
To prevent this, major highways should be made four-lane, driving licences should only be issued to competent and knowledgeable drivers, more training should be offered to all workers, he added.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Secretary Sawkat Ali said they had already instructed transport owners to be disciplined. A number of safety measures have been taken to make highways safer.
Mozzammel Haque, Secretary General of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, said there is no sign of discipline on highways.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque said that he had already given instruction to the Superintendent of Police (SP) in all districts and traffic divisions of all metropolitan cities to train the drivers and helpers to take control over the vehicles to tackle road accidents.
NCPSRR General Secretary Ashish Kumar Dey said there has been a sudden increase in the number of three-wheelers and locally-built vehicles on highways. Drivers are driving recklessly in dense fogs on the highways.
Besides, unskilled motorcycle riders, lack of awareness among pedestrians and drivers of small vehicles are responsible for the road accidents.
