Dhaka road accidents claim over 1,300 lives in six years as pedestrians and motorcyclists remain most vulnerable
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A staggering 1,384 people have lost their lives in road accidents across Dhaka over the past six and a half years, according to data released by the Road Safety Foundation. The report, which chronicles incidents from 2020 through July 2024, reveals that 2,488 individuals suffered injuries during the same period, with pedestrians and motorcyclists accounting for nearly 82 percent of all fatalities.
The organization recorded 1,849 separate road accidents in the capital, noting that while the victims predominantly include adult males, women and children are also represented in the grim statistics. Fatalities were heavily concentrated among vulnerable road users: pedestrians made up 42.77 percent of the total death toll, while motorcyclists accounted for 38.72 percent. Occupants of buses, rickshaws, and other vehicles comprised the remaining 18.49 percent.
Geographically, the report identifies several high-risk zones, labeling Jatrabari, Demra, Mohammadpur, Kuril Bishwa Road, and the Airport area as major accident hotspots. Temporal analysis indicates that the highest concentration of lethal crashes occurs at night, specifically between 10 p.m. and dawn, when 37.5 percent of total deaths occurred. Experts attribute this trend to the reckless operation of heavy freight vehicles on empty roads during late-night and early-morning hours.
Despite the frequency of these fatal incidents, traffic experts describe the situation as anomalous given the capital’s notoriously sluggish transit speeds. Research from the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) indicates that the average speed of buses in the city has plummeted to 9.7 kilometers per hour, often dipping below 5 kilometers per hour during peak congestion—a pace nearly equivalent to a standard walking speed of 4.15 kilometers per hour. Comparative studies suggest that these speeds are significantly lower than those found in major global cities, where average bus transit speeds typically reach 14 kilometers per hour.
Data from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) further underscores this downward trajectory, showing that average vehicle speeds in Dhaka have fallen from 21 kilometers per hour in 2007 to just 4.8 kilometers per hour today. Analysts suggest that the combination of severe traffic congestion and impatient driver behavior—exacerbated by intense competition for passengers—creates a volatile environment that leads to frequent collisions.
In terms of vehicle involvement, trucks, covered vans, and other heavy freight vehicles were implicated in 33.25 percent of accidents, followed by motorcycles at 26 percent and buses at 21.75 percent.
Saidur Rahman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation, emphasized that restoring order to the capital’s transport sector is essential to curbing these fatalities. He advocated for the implementation of company-based bus operations through route rationalization and urged greater synergy between the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, city corporations, and traffic police. According to Rahman, strictly regulating driver conduct at traffic signals and ending competitive driving practices are critical steps toward improving safety on Dhaka’s streets.
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