ROAD SAFETY MEASURES IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

Being a riverine country, the road transportation system is vitally important to the economic and social welfare of Bangladesh. Therefore, it must be so maintained and conlinually improved with due consideration for safety, minimizing accident hazards and risks. However, terrible losses of lives and injuries with consequent property {amages resulting from road trafEic accidents have now emerged *, ,.rio,r, issues in Bangladesh affecting the community personally, socially and economically. The road safety situation is very severe by intemational standard. An overview of the prevailing accident problem characteristics and some road safety priorities that should be addressed with due urgency are briefly discussed in the paper. Some recent advances ire promoting road safety activities including holding of international conference, national workshops and the observance of the LIN first global road safety week are also discussed. The way forward to activate and strengthen efforts towards greater rafety is highlighted as well.This paper presents a brief overview of the status of the :oad safety problems in Bangladesh by highlighting the scale and characteristics of :t-rad traffic accidents. It also discusses some initiatives taken by the govemment of Bangladesh in an effort to address road safety challenges. Most recent advances made n this regard are also highlighted.The problem resulting from road traffic accidents, miuriT and property lose is an emerging,challenging anJone of the major concerning lssues in Bangladesh like many other developingiountries in the world. To counteract ]is problem, road safety research has proven beneficial in documenting the road -cident problem, appraising the current situation in terms of prioritier *-d problem ':eas and has provided the means to develop and evaluate countermeasures. In respect :: the magnitude of the problems, the safety initiatives are ata very infant level and .3e progresses in very slow for the causes of enormous constraints at different levels :r Eangladesh. Indeed, the allocation for road safety research and intervention is very - --'u in comparison to other diseases and disasters. In this paper, the authors briefly =rie$ed some major road safety initiatives in Banglad"rh. Th. key issues of this :'iI€r is to evaluate the road safety research constraints in Bangladesh and future :*quirements for developing research based scientific, pragmatic and cost effective J!-iunter measures to improve the carnage on road. At the very outset of the paper, the *-aie and magnitude of road safety problems in Bangladesh has also been trigtrtigtrted