Editorial
Road safety in a tumble
Broad-based approach needed
In line with the United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety 2011-2022, 18 ministries of the government are to work in tandem to reduce road collision casualties within the next 10 years. The initiative, prompted by a foreign body, comes better late than never.
The frequency as well as fatality rate of road accidents have seen a steady rise in Bangladesh over the last several years. The government statistic is 5,000 deaths per year and a cost to the nation of Tk. 3,800 crore annually. The causes identified are manifold, ranging from poorly planned urbanisation and roads and a rapid increase in the number of motorised vehicles, to poor traffic-control law enforcement and inadequate post-crash response. The number of recommendations is even greater and include speed reduction, use of seat belts, child seats in cars, helmets for motorbike riders, etc.
The battle against road accidents is not a new one. The National Road Safety Council established in 1995 and the Road Safety Strategic Plan of 1997, among other programmes, however, have yielded few results. The key, as is often the case, remains in the proper implementation of programmes and strict enforcement of laws.
Where injury and death are not strong enough deterrents, however, the law in itself cannot be the only solution. A holistic approach is necessary for raising awareness about road safety where responsibility lies not only with the government for providing safe vehicles, safe roads, medical care, etc., but where drivers and passengers must also be made aware of their role on the roads, calling for a comprehensive media/communication campaign. The UN-led programme involving multiple wings of the government including the home, health, education and information ministries, seems to be such a broad-based approach and we hope that it will be an effective means of reducing preventable injuries and deaths on the road.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments