Over 7900 children killed in road accidents in Bangladesh in six years: Report

Dhaka, Oct 25 (IANS) At least 7,963 children have been killed in road accidents in Bangladesh from 2020 to September this year, including 2,513 who died while they were travelling to and from educational institutions, local media reported, citing data from the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).

The report is based on data published in Bangladesh’s nine national newspapers, 17 national and regional online news portals, electronic media reports and the organisation’s own sources, Bangladeshi daily The Daily Star reported.

Among the children killed in Bangladesh, 2,958 were motorcycle riders or passengers, 2,812 were pedestrians, while 2,913 were passengers in other vehicles. According to the report, 962 children were killed while playing on roads near their homes.

The highest number of child deaths occurred on rural roads, with 2,713 fatalities, followed by 2,082 on regional roads, 1,974 on highways, and 1,194 on urban roads.

The highest number of child fatalities in Bangladesh were reported among children aged between 13 and 17 years, with 3,547 deaths, followed by 2,884 victims in the age group of six to 12 years, while 1,532 children were aged five years or below.

The highest number of child fatalities in accidents in Bangladesh occurred during the afternoon, with 2,634 deaths, followed by 2,168 in the morning, while 1,813 deaths occurred around midday.

Child fatalities in road accidents in Bangladesh occurred due to poor information about traffic rules, reckless driving, unsafe roads and transport systems and inadequate treatment facilities for crash victims, according to the RSF, The Daily Star reported.

The RSF said that road infrastructure should be made safer, road safety education should be provided in schools and at home, action should be taken against unskilled and underage drivers, and treatment facilities should be improved at hospitals in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh has said that at least 1,25,405 people were killed and 1,76,249 others injured in 72,736 road crashes in Bangladesh from 2014 to June this year, Bangladesh’s New Age reported. The association said that the report is based on data gathered from media reports, adding that hospital data revealed that the actual number of casualties was several times higher.

–IANS

akl/vd