Textbooks should teach road safety

Road safety issue should be included in textbooks at school level to make children aware of it, said Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

“A person should be aware about traffic rules and regulations since childhood. So, the significance of obeying traffic rules and bad impact of violating rules should be taught from school level,” she said.

Besides, a campaign for road safety should be conducted at school level across the country, she told the 7th grand rally of Nirapad Sarak Chai at the capital's Mohanagar Natya Mancha yesterday.

Shirin Sharmin also urged all the lawmakers to prioritise the road safety issue in their activities. “People at grassroots level will be more aware about road safety, if you (MPs) conduct campaign and discuss the issue.”

Drivers must keep in mind that they will not violate traffic laws to accelerate vehicles' speed, which is one of the major reasons behind accidents.

Addressing the programme, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq expressed his dissatisfaction at the culture of impunity over road accident.

There were hardly one or two incidents of punishment in the last 24 years. The culture of impunity encourages reckless driving and violation of traffic rules, he said.

There should be a law forcing road transport businesses and vehicle traders to establish training institutes for drivers, the mayor suggested.

Nirapad Sarak Chai Chairman Ilias Kanchan urged the political parties to put the road safety issue high on their agenda.

The proposed Road Transport Act should be passed immediately, he said.

Kanchan also urged the authorities to suspend vehicular movement amid fog to avoid accident.

Several government officials, among others, spoke at the event joined by several hundred leaders and activists of Nirapad Sarak Chai from across the country.

Earlier on January 1, the organisation, at a press conference, said at least 6,055 people were killed and 15,918 injured in road crashes in 2016.