WITH the increase of traffic congestions, commuters’ dependence on three-wheelers and motorcycles has contributed to increasing the number of road accidents. In the years, the number of fatal accidents have also risen. Lack of public transport infrastructure, skilled and professional drivers, proper planning and awareness among people have contributed to the situation. Against this backdrop, the National Road Safety Day 2019 was observed on Tuesday for the third time in the country.
Despite banning three-wheelers and non-motorized vehicles on 22 national and regional highways, the light vehicles are plying along with the heavy vehicles, putting passengers on risk. The unauthorized transports on the highways are mainly responsible for increasing fatal accidents in rural areas, while the ride-sharing services and city commuters’ dependence on motorcycles are primely responsible for increasing accidents in the metropolises.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) data shows that 279 motorcycles are registered daily in the capital. Subsequently, the number of injured in motorcycle accidents has gone up. Currently 20 to 25 per cent of the injured in accidents admitted to hospitals are the victims of motorcycle accidents. Legs of three to five per cent of these victims have to be amputated as the accidents badly injure their veins.
A reaserch by the Accident Research Institute of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology revealed that the involvement of motorbikes and three-wheelers in fatal road accidents have been going up in recent years. In 2016, it was eight per cent and five per cent respectively both across the country and in the capital, which started to increase from 2017.
A total of 3,488 people were killed and 5,863 injured in 3,131 accidents across the country till October 18 this year. Reports said motorcycles mainly collided with public transports and cars in Dhaka and the causalities increased as the motor-bikers did not follow the traffic rules properly and wore helmets.
The authorities should take effective steps to keep slow-moving three-wheeler vehicles off the highways. Besides, the public transport system should be more convenient for city commuters to reduce dependency on two-wheelers. But we must say, there is no alternative but to increase awareness among the drivers and passengers to check accidents.
