47 students among 418 killed in road crashes in July: RSF report
NN ONLINE:
At least 418 people including 47 students were killed and 856 others injured in road accidents across the country in July, according to a report of Road Safety Foundation (RSF).
Among the victims, 72 were women (17.22%) and 53 were children (12.67%), said the report. RSF prepared the report based on reports published in nine national dailies, seven online news portals, various electronic media, and its own findings.
A total of 131 motorcycle accidents killed 109 people, accounting for 26.08 percent of the total deaths and 29.57 percent of all crashes during the period.
Some 92 pedestrians (22 percent) and 56 drivers and their assistants (13.40 percent) were among the deceased.
Besides, four waterway accidents left six people dead while 21 railway accidents claimed 18 lives. The deceased included 109 motorcyclists and riders (26.08%), 108 three-wheeler passengers (25.84%), 41 bus passengers (9.80%), 30 truck and pickup passengers (7.17%), 20 passengers of private cars, microbuses and ambulances (4.78%), 12 passengers of locally made vehicles such as Nasimon, Bhatbhati and Mahindra (2.87%), and six bicycle and rickshaw passengers (1.44%). Of the accidents, 216 (48.75%) occurred due to loss of control.
Dhaka division witnessed the highest number of accidents – 117 crashes that left 105 people dead while Barishal saw the lowest with 29 accidents and 16 deaths.
Two policemen, four teachers, two journalists, three bank and insurance officials, one power sector employee, four NGO workers, 13 local traders, nine sales representatives, one cattle trader, one railway worker, five garment workers, three construction workers, one tea worker, three persons with disabilities were among the deceased.
The report identified faulty vehicles, poor road condition, reckless driving, lack of training and physical fitness of drivers, absence of fixed wages and working hours, movement of slow-speed vehicles on highways, and reckless motorcycle driving by youths as the main causes of road accidents.