Improving Road Safety
in the OIC Member States
85
Road related causes that are responsible for road accidents are:
 National highways lack standards in design. For example, except some new segments of road,
all national highways are two-way highways without medians or some form of separation
between the driving directions. For this reason head on crash took place frequently.
 Frequent connections between national highways and regional roads deteriorate the safety
situation in Bangladesh. For example, until now Bangladesh does not have any access control
highway and national highways have been connected by low speed roads, such as regional
and even village road. Vehicles from those roads enter into the national road without any
resistance and create sudden situations for through traffic and leads to accidents.
 Inadequate shoulders (hard and soft) are another reason for accidents since pedestrian and
non-motorised vehicles (NMV) have to share the main carriageway, resulting in pedestrian
or rear end crashes.
 Heterogeneous traffic characteristics are also responsible for road accidents. NMVs, such as
rickshaws, bicycles and vans, use the highways together with high speed vehicles, such as,
buses, trucks and passenger cars. In addition, accidents were also triggered by some locally
made vehicles, such as nosimon and korimon (see section on safety vehicles). The speed gaps
between vehicles are the main cause of excessive overtaking; a prime cause of head on and
pedestrian accidents.
 No service road for local user and short distance traffic. For this reason, local users have to
use the main carriageway or national highway since they do not have any options. This
situation creates conflicts.
 Vision obstruction in curve, intersection and level crossing due to plantation and temporary
or permanent construction like shops and so on. This is one of the main reasons for head on
and level crossing crash in national highways.
 Road side market and shopping activities are a key reason for pedestrian crashes, which is
very common in Bangladesh.
 Lack of appropriate road signs and markings is another reason of road accidents in
Bangladesh. During the construction period of a national highway, road signs and markings
are placed, but problems arise after a few months. Road signs are often covered by roadside
trees, leaves or tree branches, especially in the rural context. In addition, traffic signs on
village road often get stolen because sign poles and plates have an economic value. During
the maintenance period, an overlay of bitumen is placed on the carriageway, covering the
road markings. This is not always restored properly.
 Sharp curves and narrow bridges without proper transition and tapering is also a crash
prone area in Bangladesh especially on regional roads. Due to insufficient budget or policy
decision, authorities are unable to provide curve widening or extra width of the bridges. This
results in dangerous situations, notably vehicles overturning, hitting object and pedestrians.
 Lack of footpath and unauthorised use of footpath is a common reason for pedestrian
accident in urban context. This situation pushes a pedestrian to the road, resulting in
accidents.
 Unauthorised parking and loading, unloading activities are other management related causes
of road accidents. In city areas, especially in shopping mall and recreational zones, parking
facilities are absent. For this reason, vehicles are parked on the main carriageway,