The New Nation - Internet Edition

Talha Bin Habib

The rapid increase in the number of vehicles, poor driving knowledge and improper traffic management are widely blamed for the recurrence of road accidents in the country, said experts.

Since 1990's the number of road casualties are increasing every year causing not only huge economic loss but also affecting victims psychologically.

In the year 1987 there were 1,521 road incidents that has increased to 3,419 in 2000. The figure showed 125 per cent increase.

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in its annual publication said in the year 2006 a total of 3,794 road accidents occurred all over the country that had claimed 3,193 lives and injured 2,409 persons.

It also said in the same year a total of 1,954 road accidents occurred in the capital city that had claimed 1,564 lives and injured 1,422 persons.

Economists of the country said the total cost of the road accidents in the country in terms of human lives, property damages, administrative and medical expenses is 1.5 per cent of GDP and three times the annual expenditure of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD).

The cost of traffic accidents is estimated at about $65 million in low and middle-income countries. The amount exceeds the total amount of development assistance received by these countries.

They said the number of road accidents is alarmingly increasing in the country due to absence of strict enforcement of traffic rules and regulations.

Unwillingness to use over-bridges or under passes by the majority of pedestrians and reckless driving of buses and trucks are causing regular fatal road mishaps in the country, they added.

They said that poor traffic management in the metropolitan cities and other places of the country and most vehicles preference not to obey the traffic signals were also contributing to the increase in the number of road accidents.

A study finding estimated that about 32 per cent of road deaths occurred to poor heads of households or spouses in comparison of 21 per cent for the non-poor.

The study indicated that the household income, food consumption and food production decreased following the road deaths of the poor people. On the other hand the impacts are 50 per cent less for the affluent people compared with the poor.

When asked on the prevention of growing number of road accidents, a high official of traffic police department said necessary steps have been taken to check the frequent road accidents in the country.

Increasing number of motorised vehicles such as cars, buses, microbuses, trucks, auto-rickshaws, jeeps, taxis and motorcycles are also responsible for the high number of road accidents, he admitted.

In 1990 the total number of motorised vehicles on the road was 2,21,526, which has increased to 4,27,156 in 2000.

Road safety remains an area of major concern not only because of the economy but also the impact on the poor, said a leading activist of 'Movement of Safe Road' organisation.

Strict enforcement of traffic laws and regulations, creating mass awareness, giving proper education to vehicle drivers and adoption of modern technology for road designing and maintenance of safety standards could significantly reduce the number of road accidents.