At least 487 people were killed and 1,194 injured in 559 road accidents across the country in January, according to a report published by the Road Safety Foundation.

The monthly report, released on Thursday, revealed that motorcycle crashes accounted for the highest number of fatalities — 196 deaths — representing 40.24 percent of the total casualties.

The findings were compiled from reports published in nine national dailies, seven online news portals, various electronic media outlets, and the foundation’s own sources.

Women and Children Among the Victims

Among those killed were 68 women and 57 children. In addition to motorcycle accidents, the report recorded six deaths and seven injuries in four boat accidents, and 32 deaths with 17 injuries in 41 railway track accidents.

Vehicle-based statistics show that those killed included:

196 motorcycle riders and passengers

21 bus passengers

28 passengers of trucks, covered vans, pickups, and tractors

9 passengers of private cars, microbuses, ambulances, and jeeps

77 three-wheeler passengers

13 passengers of locally made vehicles

11 cyclists

Nature and Location of Accidents

An analysis of accident types found:

135 head-on collisions

209 accidents due to loss of control

137 incidents involving vehicles hitting or pushing pedestrians

72 rear-end collisions

6 accidents from other causes

By road type, accidents occurred on:

156 national highways

207 regional roads

85 rural roads

103 urban roads

8 other locations

A total of 885 vehicles were involved in the accidents, including 217 motorcycles, 164 three-wheelers, 144 trucks, 108 buses, and 48 unidentified vehicles.

Division-Wise Breakdown

Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of deaths, with 119 fatalities in 143 accidents. Sylhet Division reported the lowest, with 18 deaths in 24 accidents.

In the capital Dhaka alone, 26 accidents claimed 18 lives and left 41 people injured.

Professionals Among the Deceased

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

Causes and Recommendations

The report identified several key causes of road accidents, including:

Defective vehicles and poor road conditions

Reckless speeding

Driver incompetence

Lack of fixed working hours and wages for drivers

Slow-moving vehicles on highways

Non-compliance with traffic laws

Weak traffic management

Limited capacity of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA)

Extortion in public transport

To address the crisis, the foundation recommended strengthening driver training programmes, setting fixed working hours and wages for drivers, enhancing BRTA’s capacity, strictly enforcing traffic laws, constructing service roads and dividers on highways, curbing extortion in public transport, developing railway and waterway transport, and fully implementing the Road Transport Act-2018.

The latest figures underscore the persistent challenges facing road safety in Bangladesh, with motorcycles emerging as the most lethal mode of transport on the country’s roads.