Nearly 16,000 killed in motorbike crashes in 6 years; what is responsible?

A total of 15,712 people have been killed and another 14,143 injured in motorcycle crashes in Bangladesh over the past six and a half years, with more than half of those affected aged between 13 and 35.

One of the major causes of these crashes is the tendency among teenagers and young people to ride motorcycles recklessly.

The information was revealed in a report by the Road Safety Foundation.

In a statement issued by the organisation today, Saturday, the organisation said that more than 16,000 motorcycle crashes occurred across the country from 2020 to July this year.

The Road Safety Foundation says motorcycles have become 30 times more risky than four-wheeled vehicles. However, people are increasingly encouraged to use motorcycles because public transport in the country is not sufficiently developed or accessible and because of traffic congestion.

As a result, crashes are increasing. One of the major reasons for the rising number of deaths in motorcycle crashes is the failure to use quality helmets. A quality helmet can reduce the risk of death in a crash by 48 per cent.

Analysing the types of motorcycle crashes, the Road Safety Foundation said 22 per cent of motorcycle crashes occurred due to head-on collisions. More than 34 per cent of crashes occurred after riders lost control. More than 39 per cent of motorcycle crashes occurred after collisions with heavy vehicles.

According to observations by the Road Safety Foundation, motorcycle riders were solely responsible for more than 36 per cent of the crashes. Cargo vehicles were responsible for 40 per cent of the crashes. Around 13.5 per cent of crashes occurred due to reckless driving by bus drivers.

Around 30 per cent of motorcycle crashes occurred on national highways. Another 42 per cent occurred on regional roads, 12 per cent on rural roads and 16.5 per cent in urban areas.

The Road Safety Foundation says motorcycles account for 71 per cent of all registered motor vehicles in Bangladesh. A large proportion of them are ridden by teenagers and young people.

The tendency among teenagers and young people to ride motorcycles recklessly is increasing. In this regard, the language and style used in advertisements by motorcycle manufacturers and marketing companies are increasing teenagers’ and young people’s attraction to motorcycles at excessive speeds. They are also encouraging them to increase speed.

The causes of motorcycle crashes identified by the Road Safety Foundation include reckless motorcycle riding by teenagers and young people, a tendency to violate traffic laws, the culture of reckless motorcycle riding in politics, weak enforcement of traffic laws, a lack of awareness programmes, defective and poor road infrastructure, a lack of technology and surveillance, inadequate access to affordable public transport, and intolerable traffic congestion.

To reduce motorcycle crashes, the Road Safety Foundation has recommended using safety and surveillance technology on motorcycles, making the use of quality helmets mandatory, ensuring strict enforcement of traffic laws, conducting awareness programmes at educational institutions, running safety campaigns on social media through the BTRC, changing the language and style of motorcycle advertisements, building safe road infrastructure, and introducing affordable, passenger-friendly public transport.