The Road Safety Crisis
in Bangladesh
Worldwide approximately 1.19 million people die each year due to road crashes — the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years. Between 20–50 million more suffer non-fatal injuries.
In Bangladesh, WHO reported 31,578 road crash deaths in 2021. Fatality rates rose from 15.3 per 100,000 (2016) to 18.6 (2021) — a dangerous upward trend.
WHO classified road crashes as a preventable non-communicable disease. Since 2022, NHFB and BOS jointly implemented this program, supported by GRSP hosted by IFRC.
“UN declared the Decade of Road Safety 2021–2030, targeting at least 50% reduction in deaths and injuries — aligned with SDG Goals 3.6 and 11.2.”
Program Partnership
Safe System Approach
Six Key Focus Areas
Our integrated approach addresses road safety from multiple angles — evidence, policy, law, awareness, and community.
Policy Advocacy
Engaging ministries — RTHD, BRTA, DTCA, RHD, DNCC, DSCC & LGD — to enact evidence-based road safety laws using the Safe System Approach.
Evidence Creation
Conducted 'Estimating Hospital Burden of Road Traffic Injuries in Bangladesh' — a key study informing national policy decisions.
Stakeholder Engagement
Bringing together orthopaedists, NCD physicians, victim families, and survivors for joint advocacy with lawmakers.
Vulnerable Road Users
Addressing critical gaps in the Road Transport Act-2018 for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
Public Awareness
Operating 'NHF-BOS Road Safety Advocacy Program' Facebook page for mass public and policymaker awareness.
Global Alignment
Aligned with UN Decade of Action 2021–2030 and SDG Goals 3.6 (halving deaths) & 11.2 (safe transport for all).
Bangladesh's road-safety crisis in data
Sourced from the WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023, BRTA annual statistics and peer-reviewed hospital burden studies.
The five risk factors that drive road deaths
WHO identifies five behavioural risks responsible for the majority of road-crash fatalities. Bangladesh has laws covering most — but with critical enforcement gaps.
Speeding
A 1 km/h rise in mean speed increases fatal crash risk by 4–5%. Bangladesh sets urban limits at ~50 km/h but enforcement is limited outside Dhaka.
Drink-driving
Even a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04 g/dL doubles crash risk. Bangladesh prohibits driving under influence but RBT screening is rare.
Non-use of helmets
A correctly-fitted helmet cuts fatal-injury risk by ~42% and serious-injury risk by ~69%. Mandated for riders and pillions in Bangladesh — compliance uneven.
Non-use of seat-belts
Seat-belts reduce driver/front-passenger deaths by 45–50% and rear-seat deaths by ~25%. Bangladesh requires front-seat use; rear coverage absent.
No child restraints
Child car seats cut infant deaths by 70% and toddler deaths by 54–80%. Bangladesh has no child-restraint law — a critical protection gap.
Distraction & mobile use
Phone use quadruples crash risk. Bangladesh bans hand-held mobile use while driving; hands-free not regulated. Growing concern with smartphone penetration.
Who bears the greatest risk on Bangladesh roads
More than two-thirds of Bangladesh's road-crash deaths are among vulnerable road users — the Safe System Approach puts their protection first.
Road deaths by user type
Pedestrians
1 in 4 deathsUrban intersections, highway shoulders and a lack of pedestrian infrastructure are the biggest killers. Speed reduction in mixed-traffic zones is the single highest-impact intervention.
Motorcyclists & pillions
Rising fastestBangladesh has seen >10× motorcycle registrations since 2010. Helmet laws exist, but 'standard' helmet availability and pillion compliance remain critical gaps.
Children (0–17)
No child-restraint lawNo national regulation on child car seats or rear-seat belt use puts children at disproportionate risk in household vehicles.
The instruments we advocate against
Bangladesh's road safety agenda sits within a layered international, national and sectoral framework. Our advocacy targets specific enforcement and legislative gaps within each.
Road Transport Act, 2018
Bangladesh's primary road-transport legislation, replacing the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1983. Strengthens penalties, introduces a points-based licensing system and higher sentences for reckless driving. Rules under the Act were finalised in 2022.
- Rear seat-belt use not mandated
- No child-restraint provision
- Speed-management regulations under-enforced
- Penalties weakened in 2023 amendment
Road Safety Strategic Plan 2021–2024
Operational roadmap for Bangladesh's road safety targets over 2021–2024 across the five Safe System pillars. Includes action items for BRTA, RHD, LGED, DMP and Health Ministry.
- Post-crash response capacity underfunded
- Data system fragmentation across ministries
- Limited municipal-level integration
UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030
The UN-endorsed framework aiming to halve road traffic deaths and injuries globally by 2030 through the Safe System Approach. Bangladesh is a signatory and Road Safety Focal Country.
- Annual progress reporting cadence
- Funding for Safe System research
- Public-private financing mechanisms
SDG 3.6 & 11.2
SDG 3.6 — halve global deaths & injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030. SDG 11.2 — provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems, with attention to the needs of vulnerable road users.
- Bangladesh SDG Country Report (2023) shows off-track on 3.6
- Need for disaggregated urban transport metrics
Survivor & Family Testimonials
Real stories from those affected by road crashes — survivors and bereaved families fighting for safer roads.
Program Calendar
Key advocacy events, research milestones, and awareness campaigns.
National Road Safety Stakeholder Summit
SummitMulti-ministry dialogue on enacting safe speed regulations and standard helmet laws.
Hospital Burden Study — Phase II Data Collection
ResearchExpanding the RTI hospital burden survey to 10 additional tertiary hospitals across Bangladesh.
Survivor Voices Campaign Launch
AwarenessSocial media campaign featuring testimonials from road crash survivors and bereaved families.
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
EventAnnual commemoration with policy advocacy and victim family engagement.
Safe System Training for NCD Practitioners
TrainingCapacity building for physicians on road safety as a critical public health issue.
Policy & Awareness Resources
Downloadable policy briefs, research reports, and campaign materials for road safety advocacy.
Hospital Burden of RTI — Key Findings
Principal findings from the NHFB hospital RTI burden estimation study.
Coming soonSafe Speed Regulations
Recommendations for government to enact evidence-based speed management laws.
Coming soonHelmet Use Campaign Materials
Print-ready advocacy materials promoting standard helmet use for motorcyclists.
Coming soonRoad Safety Law Gap Analysis
Comparative analysis of Road Transport Act-2018 against global best practices.
Coming soonChild Road Safety Factsheet
Statistics and recommendations on protecting children as vulnerable road users.
Coming soonSDG Road Safety Dashboard
Bangladesh's progress towards SDG 3.6 and 11.2 road safety targets.
Coming soonKey Policy Recommendations
A coalition for safer Bangladesh roads
The Road Safety & Injury Prevention Program is delivered through a partnership of clinical, public-health and global road-safety institutions.
National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Orthopaedic Society
Global Road Safety Partnership
International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies
Bangladesh Network for NCD Control & Prevention
Partner on Bangladesh's safest roads
We work with ministries, multilaterals, universities, hospitals and civil-society partners on evidence generation, policy advocacy and campaigns. If your mandate intersects ours, let's talk.
Researchers & academics
Joint hospital-burden studies, policy-analysis briefs, Safe-System implementation research. Open to post-doc placements and shared data requests.
Government & ministries
RTHD, BRTA, DGHS, DNCC, DSCC, RHD, LGD — we offer technical support, drafting input and independent evidence for road-safety legislation and rules.
NGOs, funders & media
IFRC/GRSP partners, donors aligned with SDG 3.6/11.2, journalists covering road safety — we collaborate on campaigns, briefings and story leads.
Evidence that underpins the program
Every statistic on this page is traceable to a public source. Please cite the original reports when reusing these figures.
- 1Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023World Health Organization
Country profile — Bangladesh. Pedestrian, motorcyclist, sex-disaggregated, and death-rate figures drawn from this report.
Open source - 2The high toll of traffic injuriesWorld Bank · 2017
Economic cost of road crashes estimated at 2–3% of GDP for low- and middle-income countries including Bangladesh.
Open source - 3Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030WHO & UN Regional Commissions
UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/74/299. Target: halve global road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
Open source - 4Road Transport Act, 2018 (Sadak Paribahan Ain)Government of Bangladesh
Primary national road-transport legislation. Provisions on licensing, helmets, seat-belts, speed and penalties referenced throughout.
Open source - 5Road Safety Strategic Plan, Bangladesh 2021–2024Ministry of Road Transport & Bridges
Operational plan covering the five Safe System pillars at national, sectoral and municipal levels.
Open source - 6SDG Targets 3.6 & 11.2United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
3.6 — halve global deaths & injuries from road accidents by 2030. 11.2 — safe, affordable, accessible, sustainable transport for all.
Open source
NHF-BOS Road Safety
Advocacy Program
NHFB operates a dedicated Facebook page to create awareness among the mass public and policy makers on road safety issues in Bangladesh.
Visit Our Facebook Page