25,000 lives lost every year in road accidents
News Desk :
Approximately 25,000 lives are lost in road accidents every year in Bangladesh, based on recent data disclosed by the Bangladesh Jatri Kallayn Samiti (BJKS).
Every day, an average of 64 individuals loses their lives in road accidents across the country, resulting in an annual death toll of nearly 25,000 people.
Notably, 51% of these victims are earners, highlighting the economic implications of these incidents.
The World Health Organization estimates that these accidents account for a significant 5.3% loss of Bangladesh’s GDP.
The Bangladesh Jatry Kallayn Samiti, an organization dedicated to road safety, advocates for the implementation of an e-traffic system to combat this trend.
According to their findings, the introduction of an e-traffic system has the potential to reduce road accidents by 80%.
To address the issue, the organization has presented a list of six demands, including prompt compensation for individuals affected by road accidents, whether injured or the families of those who lost their lives.
Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the Bangladesh Jatry Kallayan Samiti, emphasized the need for change during a recent press conference held on National Safe Road Day, under the theme “Demand for compensation to all citizens injured in road accidents according to road laws and regulations.”
Chowdhury pointed out the lack of research programs and visible initiatives to prevent road accidents, despite the existence of the Road Safety Unit within the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and the Ministry of Road Transport.
Even with a substantial budget of Tk30-35,000 crores allocated annually, there is no specific allocation for the prevention of road accidents.
The Bangladesh Jatry Kallayan Samiti further noted a total contrast between Bangladesh’s road accident statistics and global averages.
While the global average for road accident deaths in a nation is approximately 8,000 people annually, the health department reports a daily average of 64 deaths on the roads in Bangladesh, totaling around 24,000 fatalities each year.
