At least 2,329 people, among them 291 women and 381 children, were killed and 4,361 others injured in 2,159 road accidents across the country in the first half of the current year, says a new report.
It says the road accidents took place on various highways, national, inter-district and regional roads between January 1 and June 30 across the country, reports UNB.
Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF), a platform of journalists, prepared the report based on news carried by 22 national dailies, 10 regional newspapers and eight online news portals and news agencies.
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 crashes.
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 lives and 504 others received injuries in 297 accidents.
A total of 367 road crashes took place in June claiming the lives of439 people and leaving 818 others injured. Among the deceased, 49 were women and 69 children.
Ashis Kumar Dey, president of the SCR Forum, told UNB that the forumidentified 10 major reasons behind the rise in road accidents in the country.
The reasons are: Dangerous race by drivers and reckless driving, contractual leasing out of vehicles to drivers or conductors on daily basis, employing drivers without having any license, lack of awareness among pedestrians and small vehicle drivers, especially motorcyclists, overloading and overtaking tendency of drivers violating traffic rules.
Besides, long-time driving without any interval, lack of implementation of law to stop plying of unfit vehicles, violation of traffic rules on long routes, increase in motorcycles and three-wheelers on roads and highways, andcarrying passengers and goods in locally-made motorised vehicles.
