At least 134 people were killed in 145 motorcycle accidents in June, according to a Road Safety Foundation (RSF) report.
The deaths were part of 438 fatalities recorded in 472 road crashes across the country during the month. Motorcycle crashes emerged as the deadliest category, accounting for 30.59 per cent of all fatalities.
The report, compiled from data provided by nine national dailies, 17 online news portals, electronic media, and the RSF’s own records, highlights a persistent crisis on the nation’s thoroughfares.
Beyond road accidents, the report noted nine waterway accidents resulting in seven deaths and four injuries, and 21 railway track accidents which left 18 dead and seven injured.
Casualty and vehicle breakdown
A breakdown of the fatalities by vehicle type reveals that 112 passengers of three-wheelers (Easy bikes, CNGs, auto-rickshaws, etc.) were killed, followed by 37 occupants of trucks, covered vans, and pickups.
Additionally, 27 bus passengers, 14 people in private cars, microbuses, or ambulances, and 15 passengers of locally made vehicles (Nasimon, Bhatbhati, etc.) died. Eight people travelling by rickshaws or bicycles also lost their lives.
Regarding the nature of the accidents, 43.64 per cent occurred after drivers lost control of their vehicles, 23.09 per cent were head-on collisions, and 20.55 per cent involved vehicles hitting pedestrians.
Of the 713 vehicles involved in the accidents, trucks, covered vans, and pickups represented the highest share at 25.66 per cent, followed by motorcycles at 22 per cent, and three-wheelers at 19.77 per cent.
Time and location trends
Analysis of the timing shows that most accidents (31.35 per cent) occurred in the morning, followed by 19.27 per cent at night.
Geographically, Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of casualties, with 118 deaths in 116 accidents. Chittagong Division followed with 23.72 per cent of accidents and 25.79 per cent of fatalities.
Mymensingh Division saw the lowest figures, with 16 deaths in 19 accidents. In the capital, Dhaka city, 24 people were killed and 49 injured in 32 accidents.
Victim profiles
The deceased included a wide range of professionals: 58 students, 24 local businessmen, 21 political activists, 19 sales representatives, 17 NGO workers, and 13 bank and insurance officials.
The fatalities also included four lawyers, four teachers, three engineers, two journalists, one doctor, one police member, and one Chinese national.
Causes and recommendations
The RSF identified several primary causes for the high accident rate, including faulty vehicles, poor road conditions, reckless speeding, unskilled drivers, weak traffic management, and extortion in the public transport sector.
To address these issues, the foundation proposed a 12-point recommendation list, including:
- Reconstituting the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to oversee the BRTA, BRTC, and DTCA.
- Mandating modern safety technology in motor vehicles and withdrawing expired vehicles from the roads.
- Implementing route rationalisation and company-based modern bus services in the capital.
- Constructing service roads for slow-moving vehicles on all highways.
- Ensuring the appointment of gatekeepers at all rail crossings.
- Forming a unified Ministry of Communication by integrating road, rail, and water transport strategies.
The RSF concluded that while infrastructure and policy improvements are vital, political will from the government remains essential to establishing a safe road system.
