Deaths from road accidents rise to 8,543 in 2024 by 7.5% YoY: Jatri Kalyan Samity
Report says unrestricted growth of small vehicles, including six million new battery-run rickshaws, and their violation of government restrictions on road usage has significantly contributed to alarming rise in road accidents and fatalities
Highlights:
- Road accident fatalities increased 7.50% compared to 2023
- Injuries increase by 17.73% compared to 2023
- More than half accidents involve vehicles hitting pedestrians
- Motorcycles, small vehicles major contributors to rising numbers of accident
- 2,329 motorcycle accidents led to 2,570 fatalities, 3,151 injuries
- Unfit vehicles, bribery, lack of traffic rules enforcement major contributors to accident
As many as 8,543 people lost their lives in 6,359 road accidents across the country last year, the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS), a non-governmental organisation working for passengers' rights, said in a report published today (4 January).
The accidents also injured 12,608, said BJKS Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, who presented the report at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
The report, compiled annually by monitoring road, rail, and waterway accident news published in national, regional, and online newspapers, revealed that 497 railway accidents resulted in 512 deaths and 315 injuries.
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Moreover, 118 waterway accidents caused 182 deaths and 267 injuries, while 155 people went missing.
During the same period, 2,329 motorcycle accidents led to 2,570 fatalities and 3,151 injuries.
The report further said the number of motorcycles has increased from 1.5 million to 6 million over the past decade.
"The unrestricted growth of small vehicles, including 6 million new battery-run rickshaws, and their violation of government restrictions on road usage has significantly contributed to the alarming rise in road accidents and fatalities," said the report.
Compared to 2023, road accidents in 2024 increased by 1.54%, fatalities by 7.50%, and injuries by 17.73%.
Among the victims of road accidents in 2024 are 168 law enforcement officers, 1,952 drivers, 1,879 pedestrians, 622 transport workers, 755 students, 126 teachers, 1,206 women, 658 children, 48 journalists, 17 doctors, 16 freedom fighters, one actor, six lawyers, 12 engineers, and 215 leaders and activists from various political parties.
Of the total accidents, 50.84% involved vehicles hitting pedestrians, 24.39% were head-on collisions, 18.92% involved vehicles falling into ditches due to loss of control, 4.99% were due to miscellaneous causes, 0.31% involved sarees getting caught in vehicle wheels, and 0.73% were train-vehicle collisions, as per the report.
Analysis of accident types showed that 35.67% of all accidents occurred on national highways, while 21.66% took place on regional highways and 35.81% on feeder roads.
Additionally, 4.93% of all accidents occurred in Dhaka city, 1.20% in Chattogram city, and 0.73% at railway crossings.
"Despite changes in government, there have been no structural changes in the transportation sector. Only the beneficiaries of bribes have changed. Unfit vehicles continue to ply the roads, laws are misused, the BRTA is busy collecting revenue, and the traffic department is focused on collecting fines," Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said during the press conference.
"All the elements that contribute to accidents are present on the roads. In such a situation, controlling road accidents through mere meetings, speeches, statements, and newspaper advertisements is not possible," he added.
