In April, 588 people lost their lives and 1,124 were injured in 593 road accidents across the country, according to the Road Safety Foundation (RSF). Among the deceased, 86 were women and 78 were children.
During this period, 229 people died in 218 motorcycle accidents, while eight people were killed and four injured in seven boat accidents. Additionally, 24 people lost their lives and six were injured in 22 railway accidents, the report stated.
The RSF released its April road accident report, signed by Executive Director Saidur Rahman, on Sunday. The organization compiled its findings based on information gathered from nine national dailies, seven online news portals, and various electronic media outlets.
According to the report, Dhaka recorded the highest number of road accidents, with 173 incidents leading to 154 fatalities. Rangpur reported the fewest, with 31 accidents resulting in 32 deaths.
At the district level, Chittagong saw 35 accidents and 46 deaths, while Nilphamari reported accidents but no fatalities.
In the capital, Dhaka, 34 road accidents resulted in 19 deaths and 27 injuries.
The primary causes of road accidents include defective vehicles, reckless speeding, driver incompetence and mental health concerns, lack of fixed wages and working hours, slow-moving traffic on highways, reckless motorcycle riding by young people, public non-compliance with traffic laws, inadequate traffic management, and the limited capacity of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).
Accident reviews indicate that excessive speed is a leading cause of crashes. Experts emphasize that technical monitoring and motivational training for drivers are essential measures to curb speeding and improve road safety.
