It is a matter of great shame that deaths from road accidents continue to be a defining trait for us as a nation.
According to the latest data released by the Bangladesh Jatri Kallayn Samiti, approximately 25,000 lives are lost to road accidents every year in Bangladesh, which means that an average of 64 individuals lose their lives every day from road accidents.
It has been four years since the historic student-led movement called for safer roads and demonstrated that it is not a pipe dream but a reality that is within our grasp. And while the government enacted the Road Transport Act 2018 in response to the movement, the situation has been as dire as ever on our roads and highways, if not even more so.
Just as it is accepted wisdom that our average lifespan has been shortened drastically due to environmental factors, so too have we seemingly yielded to road accidents simply being yet another factor which contributes to the shortening of our lives. The leading causes of such accidents have been identified as a lack of bike lanes and other managerial misconduct; however, there are much bigger issues at play here.
Factors such as fitness checks for vehicles, especially buses, enforcing traffic laws, and punitive measures for reckless driving all contribute to the dire state of road safety in Bangladesh.
This apathy towards an issue that has become increasingly codified in our daily lives cannot be allowed to stand any longer.
In curbing the threat of road accidents, some of the points raised by Bangladesh Jatri Kallayn Samiti can be used as guidelines by the government -- points such as research programs which seek to eliminate road accidents and compensating victims and their families for both loss of life and injuries are the most obvious ones to follow.
Bangladesh has come far too long as a nation, for all that progress to come to a screeching halt due to rising deaths and injuries from road accidents would truly be a shameful legacy for us.
