Road Safety in Bangladesh: Can RTSMS save lives?
A key advantage of a road traffic safety management system (RTSMS) is its ability to bring together stakeholders—organisations, government bodies and individuals—under a unified system. This integration is likely to ensure systemic reforms at every layer of the transport ecosystem
Road safety in Bangladesh remains a critical concern, with an alarming number of accidents claiming lives and causing injuries every year. According to the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), Bangladesh has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates globally.
This raises the urgent need for systemic reforms to create a sustainable and safer road transport environment. 'Systemic' refers to something that affects an entire system rather than just individual parts or people.
Improving road traffic safety in Bangladesh is a multi-dimensional challenge that requires a blend of policymaking, infrastructure development, community involvement and awareness-raising initiatives. While compliance with regulations and enforcement is essential, fostering a holistic safety culture is equally critical. This approach necessitates engagement with communities to embed safety as a shared value.
A nation's culture—its fundamental beliefs and values—serves as the foundation for achieving safety excellence. The attitudes of communities and organisations ultimately determine whether safety initiatives succeed or fail.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
If Bangladesh's current road safety scenario is assessed using the Safety Culture Ladder, the question arises: where do we stand on this ladder?
The safety culture ladder has five rungs: pathological, reactive, calculative, proactive and generative. Each rung reflects a distinct level of safety culture maturity.
The five rungs
The pathological level reflects a mindset of indifference, where safety is dismissed unless enforcement or penalties are imminent. At this stage, people and organisations exhibit little concern for safety. The reactive level acknowledges the importance of safety, but actions are only taken after accidents occur, making the response crisis-driven.
At the calculative level, safety management systems are implemented and taken seriously. However, there is an over-reliance on these systems, leading to surprise when incidents happen—often with the sentiment that "the system should have worked."
The proactive level demonstrates a forward-looking approach. Potential risks are anticipated, and preventive steps are taken before accidents occur. Leadership and values at this level drive continuous improvement using past records as a guide.
Finally, the generative level, often seen in high-reliability organisations, represents the pinnacle of safety culture. Here, rigorous safety standards are maintained, and management is acutely aware of both present and potential risks, ensuring a vigilant and mindful approach.
Currently, Bangladesh's road safety culture aligns with the pathological level. To safeguard lives and achieve sustainable development, the nation must advance to the generative level, characterised by high reliability and systemic reforms that embed safety at every layer of the transport ecosystem.
The safety culture is built on five foundational pillars: beliefs and values, safety leadership, safety communication, safety coaching and best practices within organisations. Values stem from our core beliefs, shaping the framework for safety-orientated actions. Among these pillars, safety communications emerge as a significant challenge, particularly in rural communities.
Driving or working safely must be as instinctive as breathing—neglecting it can be fatal. However, Bangladesh has struggled to communicate and enforce safety effectively among key stakeholders, including vehicle owners, drivers and organisations.
This failure has contributed to the persistently high rates of road accidents and fatalities. Effective safety communication requires acknowledgement, empathetic listening and a concerted effort to internalise and develop safety-conscious habits in everyday life.
Solutions for Bangladesh
To address these issues, institutional strengthening is essential across all stakeholders. Developing safety leadership capabilities in accountable institutions, particularly at the district and upazila levels, is crucial. These efforts must be supported by technical safety training and development programs that engage government bodies, private organisations and non-governmental stakeholders alike.
Road safety is a shared responsibility resting on three primary stakeholders: the government, organisations of all types and sizes involved in road transport, and individual road users. By fostering collaboration among these groups and reinforcing systemic reforms, Bangladesh can lay the groundwork for a safer and more sustainable transport system.
The government of Bangladesh plays a pivotal role in ensuring road traffic safety. Their responsibilities encompass policy formulation, law enforcement, infrastructure development, awareness campaigns and inter-agency coordination such as BRTA, DTCA, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, traffic police, etc.
Enacting laws such as the Road Transport Act 2018 to regulate traffic, ensure owners, managers and drivers' accountability, and set safety standards for vehicles. Developing long-term strategies and action plans for road safety improvements.
Accident data management is crucial, as is developing a system for accurate data collection and analysis of accident data to identify problem areas.
Conducting research through organisations like the Road Safety Foundation and Think Safety Bangladesh to guide decision-making and to foster safety leadership and safety culture development. The government must overcome systemic corruption in licensing and enforcement processes.
The government can bring the organisations that interact with road transport into accountability by insisting they incorporate a standard road traffic safety management system in their organisation.
Public awareness in all age groups is to be addressed for widespread non-compliance with traffic laws and fostering a culture of safety.
No one is inspired to be safe while driving by only being reminded of the Road Transport Act. We have to change our perceptions about personal safety and social responsibility. It has to be a collective and holistic approach to prevent the incidents.
The first approach should be prevention through design, developing a system and implementing it, involving the community, building trust and empowering them by giving them responsibility, training, coaching, motivation, and reward so that they can actually think about safety and contribute to a holistic safety culture.
As per the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, road safety is specifically addressed in SDG-3 Good Health and Wellbeing and SDG-11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Massive safety reforms are required to begin reducing road crashes and fatalities in Bangladesh, and institutional capacity building should be given priority where safety leadership, and consistent and demonstrable commitment from the top management, and the authority will be the keys.
Recent data reports from the Road Safety Foundation in October 2024 have shown us the present level of commitment towards safety, institutional capacity and safety standards.
Why RTSMS is important
A standard road traffic safety management system (RTSMS) can be very effective for institutional building in Bangladesh. This standard can be applied to public and private organisations that interact with road transport, regardless of their type and size. Organisations that implement RTSMS ensure that they contribute to road traffic safety and get self-benefit by reducing risk, controlling liability risks and keeping employees safer on the road.
RTSMS is a set of interrelated or interacting elements to establish policies and objectives and set the conditions and factors related to road traffic crashes and other road traffic incidents that have an impact on or have the potential to have an impact on the death or serious injury of road users.
RTSMS is an international standard that provides the tools to assist organisations in reducing or eliminating the risk of accidents causing deaths or serious injury. Creating a road traffic system allows organisations to adopt a safe system approach to Road Traffic Safety (RTS) and to achieve the desired RTS results.
RTSMS framework is structured around several core components: the context of the organisation, leadership and worker participation, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement. This systematic approach ensures a holistic and sustainable safety culture.
One of the key advantages of RTSMS is its ability to bring together stakeholders—organisations, government bodies and individuals—under a unified system. This integration enhances accountability and fosters a shared responsibility for promoting road traffic safety.
The social impact of implementing RTSMS is significant. Fewer deaths and serious injuries result from a reduction in actual or potential accidents. This also eliminates unsafe driving penalties and reduces sickness-related absences.
RTSMS helps organisations improve their reputation, meet safety and social responsibility goals, and boost confidence among stakeholders.
Employees become more aware and empowered regarding road safety, while weaknesses in the RTSMS can be identified and corrected. Moreover, top management is held accountable for road safety outcomes.
Implementation leads to reduced vehicle repair costs, lower insurance premiums, improved productivity and streamlined administrative procedures – all of which enhance organisational efficiency.
RTSMS also ensures conformity with road safety laws, including the Road Safety Act, traffic laws, and related ISO standards. It provides objective evidence of compliance, demonstrating adherence to national and regional regulations.
Lastly, RTSMS offers a marketing advantage. Organisations that implement the framework can differentiate themselves in the marketplace, satisfy stakeholder requirements and build trust among customers, suppliers and partners. By promoting a commitment to safety, organisations gain a competitive edge and reinforce their brand image.
Bangladesh appears to be regressing in terms of road safety, despite the implementation of the Road Safety Act and other preventive measures. To reverse this trend, authorities must prioritise the establishment and implementation of a robust international standard system, such as the Road Traffic Safety Management System (RTSMS). This system is vital for reducing road accidents and strengthening institutional capacity to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.
By reinforcing these measures, the government can significantly enhance road safety, lower traffic fatalities, and build a more sustainable and efficient transportation framework.
Road safety is not merely a transportation issue; it is fundamentally a matter of public health, economic stability, and social justice. Without systemic and sustainable reforms, Bangladesh faces ongoing loss of life, diminished productivity and wasted resources. Addressing the root causes, investing in infrastructure, and fostering a holistic safety culture can transform the nation's road safety landscape.
Collaboration across all sectors—government, organisations and individuals—is crucial to achieving this vision. Safer roads will not only protect lives but also contribute to Bangladesh's broader development objectives, ensuring a future where mobility and safety coexist harmoniously.
Abdullah M Ferdaus Khan CEng, CMarEng, FIMarEST, MBA is the Chief Engineer at NEU Seeschiffahrt GmbH, Hamburg, Germany.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
