Analyzing Fatality Rates in Road Accidents in Bangladesh.

Abstract

Automobile accidents are a significant cause of fatalities and financial harm in Bangladesh, which raises substantial public health issues. To identify the main contributing factors and define doable mitigating steps to halt this terrible trend, this thesis investigates the alarming rise in accident mortality rates in Bangladesh. For every 10,000 registered cars in Bangladesh, were 62 fatalities in 1985 but just 45 in 2007. When on-road motor vehicles are considered instead of registered motor vehicles, the drop in this mortality rate is far more significant, going from 98 in 1985 to 56 in 2007, and the latter should be a better indicator of the actual situation. Between 1971 and 2007, the country's population doubled, and with a few blips in between, the fatalities and accidents increased from 0.41 to 2.98 and from 1.14 to 3.87 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. The frequency of accidents and deaths per 100 million vehicle kilometers decreased by 49.08% and 42.77%, respectively, between 1999 and 2004. In this study, an effort has been made to evaluate the rate of road traffic accidents and mortality trends in terms of total numbers, vehicle population, population, road length, and vehicle kilometers using police-reported accident data. A mixed methods technique is used in the study, which includes both quantitative and qualitative data. To identify historical trends and patterns in accident fatalities over the previous ten years, the quantitative research thoroughly reviews official accident statistics acquired from various government agencies. Geospatial mapping and statistical modeling are also used to identify high risk accident zones and comprehend the elements that increase accident rates in these locations. In-depth interviews and focus groups are held with various stakeholders, including traffic police, transportation authorities, road users, and public health and urban planning specialists, to supplement the quantitative study. Their observations help us comprehend the socioeconomic, physical, and behavioral factors that affect accident deaths. The findings point to several important causes for the increased accident fatalities in Bangladesh, including a lack of pedestrian safety measures, poorly maintained road infrastructure, ineffective traffic management, reckless driving behavior, and inadequate emergency response systems. The study also emphasizes how pedestrians and cyclists are disproportionately more vulnerable in traffic accidents than other vulnerable road users. The thesis suggests a diverse strategy to address the problem of accident deaths based on the analysis.