Road accidents claimed 565 lives in March

Motorcycle Incidents Lead in Fatalities

Staff Correspondent : A total of 565 lives were lost in 552 road accidents nationwide last month, as reported by the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh, a non-governmental organization advocating for passengers’ rights, in a statement released yesterday.
Additionally, the report highlighted that these accidents resulted in injuries to at least 1,228 individuals, according to data compiled by the association’s Monitoring Cell from various daily newspapers and online news portals. The press statement, signed by the association’s General Secretary MdMozammelHaque, provided these grim statistics.
Furthermore, the report disclosed that 31 individuals lost their lives in 38 railway accidents, while 16 fatalities occurred in various waterway accidents, contributing to a total of 612 deaths in transport-related incidents.
Notably, motorcycle accidents emerged as the leading cause of casualties, with 203 fatalities recorded in 181 motorcycle-related incidents. This accounted for 32.78 percent of total accidents and 35.92 percent of total fatalities, as reported by the Passenger Welfare Association.
Among the country’s divisions, Dhaka division reported the highest number of road accidents in March, with 165 fatalities and 306 injuries recorded in 162 accidents. Conversely, Barishal division reported the lowest number of road accidents, with 32 fatalities and 92 injuries resulting from 23 accidents.
During March, Dhaka National Orthopedic Hospital and Rehabilitation Center (Pangu Hospital) admitted 1,369 disabled patients who sustained severe injuries in road accidents.

According to the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association, major factors contributing to road accidents in March included the misapplication of traffic laws, weak enforcement, a significant rise in irregularities and corruption within regulatory bodies, and the proliferation of motorcycles, battery-powered rickshaws, and three-wheelers.
The unrestricted movement of these vehicles on roads and highways, insufficient road signage and lighting, ongoing construction activities on roads and highways, a surge in unfit vehicles, and inexperienced drivers were also cited as significant contributors to road accidents, as outlined in the association’s statement.