418 killed, 856 injured in July road accidents: RSF report

At least 418 people, including 47 students, lost their lives in road accidents across Bangladesh during July, while 856 others sustained injuries, according to a monthly report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).

The report shows that 72 women (17.2%) and 53 children (12.7%) were among the deceased. RSF compiled the data from national newspapers, online news portals, television reports, and its own field investigations.

🚦 Motorcycles were the deadliest vehicles in July, with 131 crashes killing 109 people, accounting for over a quarter (26%) of total fatalities and nearly 30% of all accidents.

🚶 Pedestrians made up 22% of victims, while drivers and their assistants comprised 13.4%.

Beyond road crashes, four waterway accidents left six people dead, and 21 railway accidents claimed 18 lives.

Among the deceased were:

109 motorcyclists and riders (26%)

108 three-wheeler passengers (25.8%)

41 bus passengers (9.8%)

30 truck/pickup passengers (7.2%)

20 passengers of private cars, microbuses, ambulances (4.8%)

12 passengers of locally made vehicles like Nasimon, Bhatbhati, Mahindra (2.9%)

6 bicycle/rickshaw passengers (1.4%)

📊 The report noted that nearly half of the crashes (48.8%) occurred due to drivers losing control of their vehicles.

By region, Dhaka division recorded the highest casualties with 117 crashes killing 105 people, while Barishal reported the lowest at 29 accidents and 16 deaths.

The victims also included professionals: two policemen, four teachers, two journalists, several bank officials, NGO workers, traders, garment workers, construction workers, and persons with disabilities.

🔎 Causes behind the accidents were linked to:

Poor vehicle condition and faulty design

Damaged and unsafe roads

Reckless and aggressive driving

Lack of proper driver training

Absence of fixed wages/working hours

Slow-moving vehicles on highways

Risky motorcycle driving, especially by young riders