487 road deaths in January, motorcycles cause 40% of fatalities: RSF

A total of 487 people lost their lives and 1,194 sustained injuries in 559 road accidents nationwide in January 2026, according to a report from the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).

Among the deaths, motorcycle accidents were the deadliest, claiming 196 lives, 40.24 percent of all fatalities.

The report, compiled using data from nine national dailies, seven online news portals, electronic media, and the foundation’s own sources, noted that 68 women and 57 children were among the deceased.

Other transport-related fatalities included four waterway accidents that caused six deaths and seven injuries, and 41 rail accidents that killed 32 people and injured 17.

By vehicle type, the fatalities included 196 motorcycle riders and passengers, 21 bus passengers, 28 truck, covered van, pickup, and tractor occupants, nine private car, microbus, ambulance, and Jeep passengers, 77 three-wheeler passengers, 13 locally made vehicle occupants, and 11 cyclists.

Accident types included 135 head-on collisions, 209 loss-of-control crashes, 137 pedestrian hits, 72 rear-end collisions, and six caused by other factors.

By road type, 156 accidents occurred on national highways, 207 on regional roads, 85 on rural roads, 103 in urban areas, and eight in other locations. A total of 885 vehicles were involved, including 108 buses, 144 trucks, 16 covered vans, 32 pickups, 21 tractors, 217 motorcycles, 164 three-wheelers, 35 local vehicles, eight bicycles, 11 rickshaws, and 48 unidentified vehicles.

Dhaka recorded the highest fatalities with 119 deaths in 143 accidents, while Sylhet had the fewest, with 18 deaths in 24 accidents. In the capital, 26 accidents caused 18 deaths and 41 injuries.

By occupation, the deceased included two police officers, 13 teachers, two doctors, six journalists, four lawyers, 11 bank and insurance employees, 19 NGO workers, 27 political activists, 21 businessmen, 26 sales representatives, nine garment workers, six construction workers, three persons with disabilities, and 57 students.

The report cited key causes of accidents as defective vehicles and roads, reckless speed, driver inexperience, unregulated working hours and wages, slow-moving vehicles on highways, traffic law violations, weak traffic management, limited capacity of the BRTA, and extortion in public transport.

Recommendations to improve road safety include enhanced driver training, regulated work hours and wages, strengthening BRTA capacity, strict enforcement of traffic laws, construction of service roads and road dividers, ending extortion in public transport, development of rail and waterway safety, and full implementation of the Road Transport Act 2018.