A total of 8,505 people were killed and 10,999 others injured in 6,929 road, rail and waterways accidents in the last year, according to an annual accident report prepared by a passengers' rights body.
Of them, 7,902 died and 10,372 were injured in 6,261 road accidents, while 512 died and 475 were injured in 520 railway accidents.
Another 91 were killed, 152 injured and 109 others went missing in 148 waterways accidents during the period, the report said.
Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) revealed the report at a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the city's Segunbagicha area on Sunday.
PWAB secretary general Mozammel Haque presented the report that was prepared based on media reports.
Of the deaths in road accidents, 2,152 individuals were killed in 2031 motorcycle accidents. The toll accounted for 27 per cent of the total victims.
The number of registered vehicles as well as smaller vehicles, particularly motorcycles and easy bikes, increased by four to five times in the last nine years, with the unbridled movement of smaller vehicles on highways causing many mishaps, according to the report.
Mozammel Haque said the number of easy bikes, motorcycles, and three-wheelers increased because they continued to operate on national and regional highways despite the government's ban.
Of the total accidents, 53 per cent were cases involving vehicles ramming pedestrians, 20.5 per cent were head-on collisions, and 14.29 per cent were due to vehicles veering out of control.
Of the total accidents, 35 per cent occurred on national highways, 28.41 per cent on regional highways, and 28.5 per cent on feeder roads.
The Dhaka metropolitan area recorded 6.32 per cent of all accidents and the Chattogram metropolitan area 1.11 per cent.
Of the total victims, 1,950 were drivers, 968 pedestrians, 485 transport workers, 697 students, 97 teachers, 154 law enforcement personnel, 985 women, 612 children, 30 journalists, 32 doctors, 16 freedom fighters, 10 engineers, eight lawyers and 111 political activists.
Of the 8,055 vehicles involved in accidents, 16.15 per cent were buses, 24.84 per cent were trucks, pick-up trucks, covered vans and lorries, 5.91 per cent were cars, jeeps, and microbuses, 5.39 per cent were CNG-powered auto rickshaws, 26.2 per cent were motorcycles, 14.47 percent were battery-operated rickshaws and easy bikes, and 7.19 per cent were various other types of three-wheelers.
The report cited the causes of road accidents as reckless driving, risky overtake, faulty road construction, unabated movement of unfit vehicles, carelessness of passengers and pedestrians, as well as poor law enforcement and violation of traffic laws.
The PWAB-a non-profit organisation-also presented a set of recommendations including increasing the number of skilled drivers and enforcing the attendant laws to minimise road accidents in the country.
It also urged the government to prioritise the road safety issue in planning considering the issue more critical than the covid-19 pandemic.
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