No safety for children on roads: 231 die in three months

On 8 April at 7 am, the area near the Shaheed Muktiyoddha Azizur Rahman School in Atwari Upazila, Panchagarh, was quiet, when shopkeepers were preparing to open stores. That calm morning, three-year-old Rifat lost his life while trying to cross the road, slipping out of his mother’s hand.

Rifat was hit by a battery-operated auto-rickshaw while crossing in front of the market. Locals rushed him to nearby hospital, and later transferred to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital, where he died.

 Like Rifat, at least 231 children aged 1 month to 17 years have died in road accidents in the country during the first three months of this year. 

During the period, child deaths accounted for nearly 16% of all road accident fatalities nationwide, according to a recent report of The Sheba Bangladesh Foundation.

The report analysed information from 11 national daily newspapers, 13 national and regional online news outlets, and electronic media.

Child road fatalities rising

Among the deceased children, 113 (48.91%) were passengers, drivers, or helpers in vehicles, while 118 (51.08%) were pedestrians. Pedestrian deaths were most frequently caused by three-wheelers known as nosimon-bhotbhoti, which killed 49 children (41.52%), followed by buses and goods-carrying vehicles at 44 deaths (37.28%). 

Regional roads were identified as the most hazardous, with 85 children (36.79%) dying there. Rural roads accounted for 56 deaths (24.24%), highways 52 (22.51%), and urban roads 38 (16.45%). 

Experts attribute the higher risk on rural and regional roads to lower monitoring and law enforcement.

Accidents occurred most frequently in the afternoon (68 deaths, 29.43%) and morning (61 deaths, 26.40%), followed by evening (57 deaths, 24.67%).

Age-wise, adolescents (13–17 years) were at highest risk, accounting for 104 deaths (45.02%). Children aged 6–12 years accounted for 86 deaths (37.22%), and children aged 1 month to 5 years made up 41 deaths (17.74%).

Structural and social factors behind child fatalities

The report highlighted several root causes of child road deaths, including poor child-friendly road infrastructure, children’s lack of road safety awareness, inadequate training at home and school, reckless driving by unskilled or underage drivers, gaps in post-accident care, and families’ financial constraints.

Sheba Bangladesh Foundation noted that most fatalities occur while children are commuting to school or playing near their homes. Rural and regional roads often pass through residential areas with minimal speed control and limited law enforcement, allowing reckless driving to go unchecked.

Yasmin Ara, executive director of the foundation, told TBS, “Child deaths from road accidents are deeply tragic and largely preventable. Children are not at fault; the responsibility lies with the state and society.”

She urged the government to adopt multifaceted measures, including stricter licensing, proper driver training, health checks, adequate rest, fair wages, and school bus operations to reduce traffic risks. 

She also emphasised the role of families and schools in teaching road safety, encouraging the use of footbridges, educating children on safe movement, and providing swimming lessons.