Road accidents claim 5,598 lives in 9 months: Road Safety Foundation

The country witnessed 5,485 road accidents from January to September this year, which left 5,598 people dead and 9,601 injured, according to the latest data from the Road Safety Foundation.

The report was compiled based on data from nine national dailies, seven online news portals, electronic media, and the foundation's own information.

Among the deceased, 677 were women, and 729 were children.

Additionally, 688 drivers and assistants lost their lives, making up 12.29% of the total casualties.

Motorbike accidents caused 1,924 deaths, representing 34.36% of the total fatalities, while 1,121 pedestrians lost their lives, making up 23.62%.

Bus passengers accounted for 1,915 deaths (5.41%), and passengers in goods-laden vehicles, such as trucks and pickups, accounted for 2,511 fatalities (7.09%).

Besides, accidents involving three-wheelers led to 1,097 deaths (19.59%), while 278 people (4.96%) died in accidents involving locally-made vehicles.

The report also indicated 83 waterway accidents resulting in 124 deaths, with 125 people injured and 19 reported missing.

Rail accidents during this period totalled 243, with 227 deaths and 223 injuries.

The report classified 21.95% of the accidents as head-on collisions, 43.19% due to loss of control, and 20.92% involving collisions with pedestrians. Additionally, 11.83% involved rear-end collisions, and 2.09% resulted from other causes.

The majority of accidents occurred on national highways (33.71%), followed by regional roads (38.90%), rural roads (14.05%), and urban roads (12.21%).