Accidents kill 568 in July

Some 568 people were killed and 1,411 were injured in 554 roads, railways and waterways accidents in the last month, according to Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB).
Of them, 520 people were killed in 506 road accidents and the incidents left 1,356 injured. Meanwhile, 34 accidents in the railways took 31 lives and wounded 41 persons.
Besides, 17 people were killed, 14 were wounded and five went missing in 14 waterway accidents during the same period.
PWAB disclosed the figures obtained from monitoring the media on Tuesday.
During this period, 162 motorcycle accidents resulted in 169 deaths and 144 injuries that account for nearly 32 per cent of total accidents, 32.50 per cent of total deaths, and 10.61 per cent of total injuries.
This month, the highest number of road accidents occurred in the Dhaka division, with 122 accidents causing 130 deaths and 295 injuries. In contrast, the lowest number of accidents took place in the Barisal division, with 23 accidents leading to 23 deaths and 95 injuries.
Major causes of road accidents included potholes from monsoon damage, unregulated movement of small vehicles, lack of road signs, absence of dividers, faulty road or vehicle conditions, traffic law violations, wrong-way driving, extortion, passenger transport in merchandise vehicles, unskilled drivers, unfit or overloaded vehicles, and reckless, nonstop driving.
The rights body recommended urgent repair of monsoon-damaged roads, installation of lighting on highways for safe travel during the nights, creation of service lanes and footpaths, and proper road signs and markings. They also urged preparing skilled drivers, issuing digital fitness certificates, ensuring fair wages and fixing working hours for drivers, and eliminating extortion on roads.

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