For many families, the festivity spell of the Holy Eid-ul-Fitr came to an untimely and grief-stricken end. They lost their near and dear ones in accidents across the country during the post-Eid holidays. The news and reports of these tragedies on the roads, highways and railways obviously changed the mood of celebration for all others and raised the question as to where the road safety lies.
Indeed, it is not the first time that such tragedies have taken place. Records bear out that such accidents have been taking place for long and the death toll multiplied during the occasions like the Eid as movement of people increases manifold then.
According to global statistics, Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of deaths in accidents during travel, whether it is on roads, highways, railways or waterways. Accidents are accidents but any research would indicate that most of those occurring here are avertable. Observations by the Accident Research Centre of Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), concerned non-governmental organisations (NGOs), World Bank, media and experts emphatically state that most of the road accidents in the country happen due to hazardous driving conditions which include distracted driving, inefficiency of the drivers, physical condition of the roads and lack of awareness about safety hazards. However, a great deal comes from the lack of enforcement of appropriate law and regulations as much as from the lack of punishment to the offenders.
In an instant move following the series of fatal accidents on the highways two days after the Eid, the government pointed fingers at the three-wheelers and banned their movement on the highways along with other vehicles like Nasimon, Karimon etc. No doubt, these short haulers could be the reasons for the tragic accidents but no measure was announced or ever planned to devise the alternatives for such light commuters. As a matter of fact, in the rural landscape
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of our country these types of vehicles play a crucial role in short haul travels by the local people. These vehicles do not have any alternative lanes to use and thus avail the convenience of using the national highways to facilitate mobility of a vast segment of the population.
We have disputed figures about the fatalities due to accidents on roads, waterways and railways. The National Road Safety Council (which depends on the police department for statistics) have put the deaths at 2000 to 2500 per year during the last five years. Other research works by concerned private organisations take the figure to over 5000. In any case, the mathematics of accidents, fatalities, population, roadworthiness and number of vehicles will look very prudentially grim.
According to some student researchers of a private university in the city some years ago, 34 per cent of the accidents on the roads and highways occur due to the drivers losing control over the wheels forcing the vehicles to either ram into other ones or fall into the sideway ditches. They also have opined that 39 per cent of the accidents occur due to head-on collisions that happen due to rash driving or inappropriate chases in overtaking. The students have further observed that over 70 per cent of the highway accidents involve buses and trucks.
With the population growing and socio-economic activities expanding, mobility of people will keep rising. There has to be an urgent call to address this menace. It requires the political will, social pressure and economic planning. The political will should be demonstrated by strict enforcement of law and conducive economic planning that encompasses appropriate transportation connectivity and sustainable maintenance. Social pressure should be there for expansion of education and a rigorous safety campaign.
It is, indeed, quite saddening to note that the statistical table of such accidents is dotted with an upward trend. Each fatality in an accident makes a dent in the gross domestic product (GDP) as well. It is also a matter of regret to state that terrorism has been killing people in hundreds but deaths in travel-time accidents are occurring in thousands. While stupendous resources are being spent to check and control terrorism, why shouldn't there be a massive thrust on putting on a brake on these types of accidents? If no tangible actions are taken, the devils will keep on dancing on the roads!
(The writer is a CSR consultant & broadcaster. mohicsr@gmail.com)
