From 2015 to the present, a total of 31,793 road accidents have been recorded, leaving 91,793 injured, and 43,856 dead.
To say that is unacceptable would be a gross understatement. Not only are we losing tens of thousands of lives to these accidents, but the enormous human casualties have far-reaching consequences, which include economic devastation, particularly for people in the lower-income groups.
In 2020 and 2021 alone, the economic loss amounted to Tk32,877.9 and 29,479.9 crore respectively. In the ongoing calendar year, the total loss has been estimated to be 1.11% of the country's GDP, according to a study by the Accident Research Institute (ARI). These are astonishing numbers that do not bear well for a country looking to take the next step in its development journey.
ARI data show that 75% of the accidents take place on the highways because of clashes between high speed and slow-moving vehicles. This indicates that steps must be taken for separate lanes on the highways for rickshaws and smaller short-distance vehicles.
The current administration has made certain strides in upgrading highways to four lanes, which speaks as much about the success of the current government as it does about the failures of the past governments. But putting a stop to the deaths and devastation by road accidents can no longer wait.
Moreover, there exist a plethora of drivers, of trucks, buses, and other heavy vehicles, who simply lack the qualifications and expertise to be on the roads. This impunity that they enjoy, and consequently, the owners of these trucks and buses, cannot continue.
We hope the authorities concerned will take serious and immediate measures to minimize road accidents on the highways to the extent practically possible in the short term, with the aim of bringing them eventually down to zero.