Why do we continue to overlook road safety?

Eight years ago on October 22, 2017, the day was declared as the National Road Safety Day in Bangladesh. But it still remains ever elusive as the silent epidemic of road crash continues to wreak havoc. A recent survey on fatalities from road accidents in the country has revealed a grim reality.

According to the survey, nearly 66 people die in road-traffic crashes per day, equating to roughly 24,233 deaths in one year. This is shocking, as the figure is nearly four times higher than that of the previously released government estimates of the annual deaths.

Marking the day, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity Secretary (BJKS) General Md. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury at a press briefing on Tuesday said that the country has witnessed 67,890 road accidents over the past 12 years that left 116,726 people dead and 165,021 others injured.

It is to be noted that a UN Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026-2035 will kick off in November this year, aiming to align the transport system with sustainability goals.

We welcome its launch just as we are near the midpoint of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. Road safety is our top priority, and the Decade of Sustainable Transport gives Alliance members a broader platform to accelerate progress towards halving road deaths and injuries.

We have witnessed a sharp increase in unruly behavior on the roads and highways in recent years, in addition to unregulated road access provided to unfit vehicles and drivers alike. Despite the many alarms sounded over the completely avoidable risks of such malpractices on the roads, there has unfortunately been little to no improvement made to the system.

The escalating number of casualties and long-term injuries caused by the selfish mismanagement of transport companies, reckless driving from professionals and individuals behind the wheel, and a general disregard for traffic rules should be an indication that the measures we have attempted to take to counter such safety hazards are simply not working. We cannot go on like this.

We cannot reduce road deaths without structural reform of BRTA. In 54 years since independence, we have not implemented any lasting structural change in the transport sector.

Now, the authorities concerned must prioritize the safety of the citizens by enforcing stricter laws, and seeing to it that those who have so far been excused for their indifference to traffic rules are penalized. We must stop being a nation that normalizes the loss of human life.