At least 4,628 people, including 585 women and 754 children, were killed and 8,612 others, including 613 women and 399 children, were injured in 4,219 road accidents in 2019 across the country. The fatal accidents took place on the several highways, national highways and national, inter-district and regional roads between January 1 and December 31 in the immediate past year.
Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum, a platform of journalists, prepared the `Annual Road Accident Report 2019’ based on news carried by 24 national dailies, 10 regional newspapers and nine online news portals and news agencies, According to the report, the number of road mishaps and injuries had decreased in 2019 in comparison with that of 2018. However the number of deaths in accidents had increased.
In 2018, a total of 4,580 people were killed and 10,828 others were injured in 4,317 road crashes while 4,628 people lost lives and 8,621 others received injuries in 4,219 accidents in 2019, the report said. According to the report, 411 people, including 53 women and 71 children, lost lives and 725 others received injuries in 383 accidents in January last.
Some 401 accidents occurred in February when 415 people were killed while 884 others injured. Among the deceased, 58 were women and 62 children. In March, 386 people, including 46 women and 82 children, were killed and 820 others injured in 384 road accidents. Some 327 accidents occurred in April which claimed 340 lives and left 610 others injured. Among the deceased, 38 were women and 53 children.
In May, 338 people, including 47 women and 44 children, lost their lives and 504 others received injuries in 297 accidents. A total of 367 road accidents took place in June claiming the lives of 439 people and leaving 818 others injured. Among the deceased, 49 were women and 69 children.
Some 311 road mishaps happened in July when 348 people, including 46 women and 40 children, were killed and 513 others received injuries. In August, 398 people lost lives and 823 others injured in 337 road crashes. Among the deceased, 47 were women and 57 children. A total of 367 road accidents took place in September claiming the lives of 367 people and leaving 828 others injured. Among the deceased, 38 were women and 64 children.
Some 356 road mishaps happened in October when 398 people, including 55 women and 78 children, were killed and 667 others received injuries. According to the report, 342 people, including 53 women and 71 children, lost lives and 725 others received injuries in 342 accidents in November.
In December, 446 people died and 681 others injured in 389 road crashes. Among the deceased, 47 were women and 57 children. Quoting SCRF observation and analysis round the year, the organisation president Ashis Kumar Dey said that maximum major road accidents happened due to whimsical driving and lack of carefulness of drivers of heavy vehicles like buses and tracks. There is lack of proper monitoring and supervision of the authorities concerned in this regard.
The SCRF observation also said that increasing the number of small and local made mechanized vehicles on regional roads and inter-district roads and highways, extortions in bus and track terminals, displeasure of transport workers and over all anarchy in the road transport sector were the other causes of road accidents.
The Journo platform also identified some other reasons for the reduction in the number of road accidents. It suggests publication of reports on road transportation in media round the year, arranging different types of awareness programs on road accidents by different social organizations and Road Transport and Bridges' ministry, increased responsibility of police personnel and mobile courts against faulty vehicles and drivers with fake driving licenses, identifying different risky turning points and installing cautionary signs there and undertake proper road repair.
