Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Epaper
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Unified road safety plan must be a priority to curb traffic deaths 

Published : Saturday, 11 January, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 118
Pranto Chatterjee
When we see the figure of 8,543 people killed on Bangladeshi roads in 2024, it can be difficult to comprehend the full scope of that tragedy. Each statistic signifies a human life: someone's parent, child, sibling, or friend. This is not just about numbers on a chart, but about communities that continue to reel from the loss of a beloved individual, and a society that has repeatedly failed to safeguard its own members. We might ask ourselves: what does "development" truly mean if traveling from one place to another remains a gamble with life and death?

The numbers have been on a worrying upward trend, as noted by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity. Compared to 2023, road crashes in 2024 increased by 1.56 percent, fatalities by 8.11 percent, and injuries by 21.56 percent. Motorcycles alone accounted for more than a third of these incidents. Still, our discussions of road safety often lapse into the same old reasons-reckless driving, poor enforcement of traffic laws, and a lack of vehicle fitness checks-without producing any tangible results. That stagnation begs the question: are we willing to continue losing thousands of lives each year for the sake of short-term convenience, political expediency, and profit?

One reason for the worsening situation is the surge of vehicles that are either unstable by design or poorly assembled. Battery-run auto-rickshaws, for example, have mushroomed in both rural and urban areas, propelled by unchecked growth and insufficient oversight. While these vehicles provide an affordable means of transportation, their structural integrity is often in question, and drivers rarely undergo comprehensive training. On highways, these slow-moving contraptions share lanes with faster, heavier vehicles, turning the roads into chaotic free-for-alls where collisions seem inevitable. The rapid expansion of motorcycles on crowded streets and highways has further complicated the situation. In the absence of strict licensing requirements, high-speed bikes now ply narrow roads with little regard for safety norms. Should we then be surprised when hospital wards fill up with people whose only crime was trying to reach work on time?

Meanwhile, the transport sector's systemic corruption has allowed chaos to flourish. It is no secret that unholy alliances between transport owners, political figures, and law enforcers often ensure that rules are bent for those willing to pay. Owners of buses or trucks can avoid proper fitness inspections by engaging in lucrative "under-the-table" transactions. Licenses can be bought with minimal fuss. Drivers with questionable skills slip behind the wheel of large passenger vehicles, carrying people who trust that the journey will be safe. 

Public awareness and educational programs also lag behind. While non-governmental organizations have made commendable efforts to promote safe driving habits and highlight the importance of seatbelts and helmets, mass compliance is still far from reality. Many children grow up observing adults disregarding basic traffic rules, creating a cycle where negligence and disregard for safety become ingrained in everyday life. The truth is, instilling a culture of safety requires consistent, multi-tiered education from childhood well into adulthood. Road safety campaigns must be woven into school curricula, reinforced through public service announcements, and supported by clear, consistent enforcement by traffic police. If people cannot see the link between minor infractions today and tragic accidents tomorrow, the cycle of complacency will persist.

There have been repeated calls for a dedicated commission empowered to reform the transport sector. This commission, if truly independent, could standardize procedures for issuing vehicle permits, crack down on corruption in licensing offices, and impose strict penalties on operators of unfit vehicles. It could also address the rampant conflicts between slow-moving and high-speed vehicles, perhaps by designating special lanes or restricting certain vehicle types from specific roads. The Road Transport Act, 2018, looked promising when it was first introduced, but its implementation has been stifled by powerful forces within the industry. For any commission or law to succeed, it must be free from political manipulation and firmly rooted in the belief that road safety transcends short-term profits and entrenched interests.

None of these measures, however, will matter if people remain uninterested or uninvolved. We too bear responsibility when we break traffic rules because we are "in a hurry," or look away when someone we know obtains a license illegally. We enable a corrupt system whenever we decide it is acceptable to bribe an official or turn a blind eye to a neighbor who drives without proper training. Change requires a collective shift in mindset. We must treat each injury and fatality as an intolerable injustice rather than shrugging our shoulders and accepting it as the norm.

Some progress is possible through technological innovation. Dashcams can record driving patterns, GPS-based tracking can monitor bus routes, and speed limiters can prevent reckless driving. Yet, even the best technology will prove futile if we do not commit to using it for the public good. In countries where road safety standards have dramatically improved, technology works hand in hand with strict enforcement. Cameras that capture traffic violations are paired with swift penalties. Communities are engaged through awareness campaigns, and persistent offenders face consequences that compel better behavior. There is no reason Bangladesh cannot adopt a similar system, other than the inertia of outdated norms.

Ultimately, these accumulating tragedies should serve as a moral wake-up call, urging us to reflect on what kind of society we want to become. Are we content to watch more coffins roll off the highways while we offer hollow condolences to grieving families? Or will we take an unyielding stance, demanding that our roads embody the very notion of civic duty and respect for life? Part of the answer lies in relentless advocacy, persistent dialogue, and personal responsibility. Another part lies in robust policy changes and the unwavering implementation of existing laws.

If we fail to act, we risk normalizing a state of affairs where daily headlines of fatal crashes barely raise an eyebrow. We risk turning entire families' futures into footnotes of a country that prides itself on development but neglects the safety of its people. We risk overshadowing the potential of new infrastructure projects by their grim reputation for claiming innocent lives. For each new highway we inaugurate, we should pause and question whether we are simultaneously celebrating a fresh conduit of opportunity or creating another channel for disaster.

If we wish for real progress, we must align national priorities with the fundamental right to life and security. We must champion transparent governance, hold perpetrators accountable, and demand that our politicians prioritize the well-being of citizens over the demands of any special interest group. Above all, we must remember that every statistic has a face. Behind every number is someone's loved one, a promise, a dream cut short. May that realization finally galvanize us to transform our roads from death traps into safe corridors for every traveler, each day, and for generations to come.

The writer is a postgraduate student in Autonomous Vehicle Engineering at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy 



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