Overloading causes road accidents

Khairul Islam A significant number of deadly road mishaps mainly occur because of carrying overloaded passengers and plying unfit vehicular, especially during the big festivals like Eid, accident analysts observed. They suggested the government and home-bound people to take their own respective proactive safety measures including avoidance of overloading carriages to make the holidaymaking journey safe and sound. Statistics available at Accident Research Institute (ARI) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) shows around 156 recorded deadly accidents took place across the country during the last Eid-ul-Fitr. Researcher at the Institute Dr Muhammad Mahbubul Alam Talukder said that the actual number of accidents would be more as all the accidents couldn't be recorded. Analyst Dr Mahbubul Alam told the FE that of the recorded 156 accidents claimed at least 177 lives of the holidaymakers, which is a serious concern for the home-bound people. He thinks the majority of such deadly transport-related misfortunes could be avoided through growing awareness in the people, who do not hesitate to ride on the rooftop of overloaded transports. The accident analyst said the transport-related accidents that took place during the last Eid, the passenger bus topped with 56 fatalities, followed by motor bike accidents 29. The number of truck accident 12, Auto-rickshaw 11, Microbus 10, private car 9, Nasimon 7, Bodbody 6, Pickup van 4, Tomtom 3 and covered van 2. The most common accident types are pedestrian hitting counting 45 per cent, rear end collisions 6.5 per cent and head on collisions 13.2 per cent, while overturning shares 9.3 per cent of the total accident figure. The road accident researcher Dr Alam, who also associate professor at ARI, recommended the government and home-bound people to take their own safety measures including avoiding riding in overloaded carriages to make the holidaymakers' journey safe and sound. "Nearly 37 per cent road accidents occurs on the highways, of which more than 10 per cent crunches take place mainly overturning," another accident analyst Dr Mazharul Hoque said. The researcher, former Director of the ARI, suggested the government to take special safety measures on the occasion of such festivals to avoid unwanted bloody transport mishaps. The expert also professor at the Department of Civil Engineering of the country's leading engineering university BUET said road safety is a multi-disciplinary task that needs cooperation from the stakeholders including the government agencies and the general people. He, however, said that the government must need to play central and pivotal role along with due commitment to reduce the casualty that already drown massive concern from the community people. The accident expert said considering demand and profits of the transportation, some unscrupulous people ply their unfit vehicles during the Eid, contributing to additional 10 per cent bloody road accidents. "During the festival specially, Eid vacations the poor people are forced to use non-standard and unsafe vehicles as the price of tickets and availability of the carriages remain beyond their abilities," the professor noted. "The government must check the unhealthy transport business during such major festivals to thwart unexpected casualties," the professor added.