Death in Dhaka road accidents rising

The number of deaths in road accidents are increasing in Dhaka, according to a survey by the Accident Research Institute (ARI) of BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology).
It also shows that these accidents cause damages worth Tk 60,000 million every year.
The survey reveals, 24 people on an average were killed in road accidents every month from January to July this year whereas the number was 23 in 2017 and 12 in 2016 respectively.
So far this year, 174 accidents have taken place in the capital. A total of 167 people were killed in the accidents while 2342 people died in road accidents all over the country this year. And 588 people died in road accidents over past three years in Dhaka alone.
The student protest demanding safe roads following the deaths of their fellow students on 29 July has been a burning issue in recent times. Amid the protest another accident took place at Moghbazar intersection that took a life on the spot.
According to the survey, 70 per cent of the victims died in motorbike and bus accidents while the remaining 30 per cent died while crossing roads, breaking the traffic rules.
Most of these road accidents occur due to reckless competition between drivers, speeding motorbikes and not wearing helmets.
Also, the survey shows, a total of 280 people died and 359 were injured in 267 road accidents around the capital. The death toll was 141 in 126 accidents in 2016 from March to December.
Most of the accidents occur in the morning as the roads remain empty at the time and the bus drivers compete to pick up passengers, according to Kazi Shifun Newaz, ARI researcher and BUET teacher.
“During the day, vehicles and motorbikes speed up as soon as the traffic lights change. Most of the accidents at the time occur when pedestrians rush to cross the road,” he told Prothom Alo.
According to information provided by police to ARI , among all the metropolitan cities, Dhaka has the highest number of deaths in road accidents as there are more people and vehicles in Dhaka.
ARI identified 54 accident prone areas across the city such as Jatrabari, Farmgate, Sayedabad, Purana Paltan and many more.
Kazi Shifun Newaz feared the death toll would exceed the number of deaths of previous years if the condition is not improved.