2021 saw spike in road deaths

Another road safety organisation said the number of road crashes and resultant deaths saw a sharp rise last year, reinforcing the impression that road safety has deteriorated further in the country.

Road crashes and deaths were higher by 16.8 percent and 15.35 percent respectively last year, compared to 2020, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity yesterday.

At least 7,809 people were killed and 9,039 injured in 5,629 road accidents last year while in 2020, at least 6,686 people were killed in 4,891 crashes, the organisation said.

Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, secretary general of the organisation, shared the information at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity, where it also placed recommendations. The organisation prepared the report based on media reports.

Road safety organisations Road Safety Foundation and Nirapad Sarak Chai had earlier said the number of road crashes increased last year.

Although more people are getting killed in road accidents than dying due to Covid, the government's steps for ensuring road safety are not as visible as those taken to curb militancy or Covid, Mozammel said.

Anarchy in the road transport sector is tarnishing the government's achievements, he added.

"The government's reluctance about ensuring road safety matches its enthusiasm for road development."

Reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, unfit vehicles, lack of awareness among pedestrians, unskilled drivers, poor enforcement of law and dependency on bikes and three-wheelers in absence of public transport are major reasons behind the rise of accidents, he said.