Maintain speed limits to curb road accidents: Ilias Kanchan

Noted actor Ilias Kanchan, also chairman of Nirapad Sarak Chai, today called upon the drivers for maintaining speed limits for their vehicles to avoid frequent road accidents across the country.

He came up with the call while addressing a press briefing at Dhaka Reporters' Unity ahead of the week-long “4th United Nations Global Road Safety Week” from May 8 to 14 with the theme -- “Save Lives: #SlowDown”.

Speedy and rash driving is the major reason of road accidents as possibility of crashes and causalities depends on the speed of vehicles, he said.

Citing a World Health Organization (WHO)’s recent study, Kanchan said, “Speed is a contributing factor in the severity of all road traffic crashes. As average speeds rise, so too does the likelihood of a crash resulting in injury.”

In 2015, the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry fixed speed limit of vehicles on highways at 80km but failed to implement the decision, he said.

Replying to a query on government's initiative to observe the road safety week, Kanchan alleged the government does not arrange any programme to observe the week which can create awareness on road safety issue.