416 killed in 458 road crashes nationwide in July: Road Safety Foundation

At least 416 people were killed and 629 injured in 458 road accidents across Bangladesh in July, according to the latest report by the Road Safety Foundation, which identified motorcycles as the single deadliest mode of transport during the month.

The report, released on Thursday (August 6), was compiled using data from nine national newspapers, 17 national and regional online news portals, electronic media and the foundation's own records.

Among those killed were 57 women and 48 children. Motorcycle crashes claimed 138 lives, accounting for 33.17 percent of all fatalities, while 159 motorcycle accidents represented nearly 35 percent of all road crashes. Another 106 pedestrians lost their lives, making up more than a quarter of the total death toll.

National highways remained the most dangerous roads, recording 169 accidents, followed by regional roads (155), urban roads (66) and rural roads (61).

The foundation attributed the high number of crashes to reckless driving, speeding, unfit vehicles, poor road conditions, inexperienced drivers, long working hours, weak traffic management and widespread violations of traffic laws.

Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of casualties, with 133 crashes claiming 125 lives, while Dhaka city alone saw 34 accidents, leaving 18 people dead and 47 injured.

The organisation urged the government to implement comprehensive road safety reforms, including institutional restructuring, removal of unfit vehicles, improved driver training, stricter enforcement of traffic laws and infrastructure upgrades to reduce fatalities.