Make roads safer for our children

We're deeply concerned about the lack of safety for our children on roads and highways that keep throwing up dead bodies with an alarming frequency. According to data just released by the Road Safety Foundation, at least 1,674 children (up to 18 years old) have been killed in road accidents in the last 28 months, with an average of two children losing their lives every day. Of them, 649 were killed in 2020, 734 in 2021, and 291 in the first four months of this year. This is an alarming statistic by any measure, and deserves the highest degree of attention from the authorities and guardians.

Children, either accompanied or on their own, have to go out just like anyone, but don't have the experience or wisdom of adults to escape the many traps laid out on our roads and highways, which make Bangladesh such a risky country for travelling. Not that the adults are doing much better, with the number of road crashes and casualties rising every year, but children are especially vulnerable in such situations and deserve proper care. This is more so in rural areas, where traffic rules are seldom followed. As per the figures compiled by the Road Safety Foundation, 889 children were killed on rural roads, which is 53.10 percent of total deaths in the time period surveyed. At least 287 children were killed on national highways, and 328 on regional highways. And unsurprisingly, 731 children—or 43.66 percent of all victims—got killed on their way to or from their educational institutions.

It's perhaps no surprise that road accidents, according to Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum, remain one of the main causes for unnatural deaths of children in the country. If you dig deeper, the red flags begin to emerge. True, as passengers of vehicles, children are as likely to suffer as any victim of road crashes. But they are at a greater risk of being hit or run over by vehicles while jaywalking. Many of the children who died were drivers or helpers of the vehicles that crashed, or were either riders or pillions on motorcycles. All these are illegal and potentially life-threatening activities, and as a society we have failed to ensure an environment in which children will not be bound to work or undertake risky endeavours.

This is why awareness is so important. We urge the authorities to strictly enforce traffic laws so that underage drivers of any vehicle are not allowed on our roads and highways. Parents and school authorities also have a big responsibility in minimising the risks for children. We also need child-friendly roads and transports. Most importantly, awareness campaigns should be run especially in rural areas so that all, including the children, are aware of the challenges associated with travelling.