Reduce preventable deaths and injuries
It is deeply concerning that road accidents remain one of the leading causes of injury-related deaths across all age groups in the country. According to a recent government survey, the annual number of road crash fatalities is 24,233, meaning that 66 people die from road traffic injuries every day. In addition, more than 30 lakh people suffer non-fatal injuries in such crashes each year, among them 38,028 left permanently disabled. The survey, carried out between May 2023 and February 2024, came up with these findings after analysing data from 4.43 lakh participants. Three other leading causes of mortality include suicide, accounting for 20,505 fatalities annually; followed by drowning, with 18,268 deaths; and falls, with 14,167 deaths. The survey thus highlights the increasing number of injury-related deaths in the country.
These findings come at a time when our transport sector remains in complete disarray. According to an estimate by Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, at least 116,726 people were killed and 165,021 injured in 67,890 road crashes over the last 12 years. While corruption and flawed policies of successive governments are largely to blame for this, the situation has not improved under the interim government either. A large number of unfit vehicles continue to plague our roads. The shortage of skilled drivers, sharp rise in motorcycles, unsupervised operation of battery-run rickshaws and slow-moving vehicles, and poor enforcement of traffic laws also serve as major barriers. Unfortunately, the Road Transport Act 2018 has failed to address the prevailing indiscipline in the sector, as it remains largely unimplemented. Influential transport associations continue to make the rules on our roads. The interim government's failure to enforce its directive to withdraw date-expired vehicles from operation is a case in point. This situation must change.
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The increasing number of injury-related deaths also highlights a public health crisis that demands urgent response. Going forward, the government must prioritise injury prevention by implementing the survey's recommendations, such as developing and executing an injury prevention strategy, forming a national committee for necessary interventions, and building capacity for on-site injury prevention. As road crashes remain a major cause of deaths and injuries, it is crucial that all political parties commit to prioritising road safety and modernising public transport systems before the next election to ensure safer roads for all.
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