reckless driving
Reckless driving triggers multi-vehicle collision in Ctg’s Bangabandhu Tunnel
In a distressing incident last night, reckless driving led to a multi-vehicle crash inside the Bangabandhu Tunnel in Chattogram, resulting in damage to at least five vehicles and injuring several people. The accident, occurring in one of the tunnel's lanes, underscores the growing concerns over traffic safety.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Billal Hossain of the Karnaphuli Police Station, under the Chattogram Metropolitan Police, reported that the chain-reaction collision was initiated by a private car that lost control due to excessive speed. The vehicle's erratic maneuvering led to it colliding with nearby cars, impacting a total of three private cars and two microbuses.
Read more: Out of control truck smashes into two other vehicles on Dhk-Ctg Highway; helper dead, 10 injured
Following the accident, one of the injured was rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for immediate medical attention, while others sought treatment at various hospitals. The precise number of individuals injured in the ordeal remains uncertain.
In the aftermath of the collision, authorities seized all vehicles involved as part of their ongoing investigation into the incident. This accident adds to a troubling pattern of similar occurrences within the Bangabandhu Tunnel, which has seen seven to eight accidents in the mere four months following its inauguration on October 28 last year.
The situation has been further complicated by a video that surfaced online, showcasing illegal car racing inside the tunnel immediately after its opening. The viral footage prompted legal action, with a case filed on November 1 against the individuals involved, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced safety measures and stricter enforcement of traffic regulations within this crucial infrastructure.
Read more: Bangabandhu Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River: All you need to know
19 dead in Madaripur road mishap: Probe committee blames reckless driving amid rain, operating unfit vehicle for the accident
The four-member committee, formed to investigate the road accident that left 19 dead and 20 others injured in Madaripur’s Shibchar upazila on March 19, mainly blamed the reckless driving and an unfit vehicle for the accident.
The committee, led by Additional District Magistrate Pallab Kumar Hazra, submitted its report with a 14-point recommendation to Deputy Commissioner Kamal Uddin Biswas on Wednesday noon.
The report also said that though the driver had a licence of running a medium-scale vehicle, he was running a heavy vehicle amid rain.
Read more: Bus falls into ditch in Madaripur: Death toll now 19
Pallab Kumar said Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRAT), Gopalganj deferred registration of the Emad Paribahan’s bus due to desperate driving on November 17 past year and the vehicle’s lifetime expired on January 18 this year but it had been running on the roads violating rules.
He said they submitted the probe report with the 14-point recommendation to ward off any unexpected accident further.
The recommendations included ensuring licences of drivers and valid documents of all vehicles before operating the vehicles on the highways, using seatbelts by drivers and passengers when the vehicles move on the highways, building the vehicles’ interior with soft objects, constructing guard rail on the both sides of expressways and keeping updated database of all vehicles running on the highways.
Another member of the probe committee, Moniruzzaman, an additional superintendent of the district police, said the number of sophisticated equipment of patrolling vehicles and manpower of the law enforcing agencies will have to be increased to keep vigilance on the vehicles on the expressways.
He also suggested installing CCTV cameras, trackers and online monitoring systems to lessen the road mishaps.
Moreover, the speed of vehicles will have to be kept under control at night, dawn and during adverse weather, he said.
Earlier on March 19, at least 19 people were killed and 20 others were injured as a Dhaka-bound bus of Emad Paribahan from Khulna fell into a roadside ditch in Madaripur’s Shibchar upazila.
Later, the district administration formed a four-member committee to investigate the incident.
Road crash in Tangail, Manikganj: 13 including 6 of a family killed
At least 13 people, including six members of a family, were killed, and 10 others were injured in road crashes on Friday in Manikganj and Tangail.
Charges pressed against two bus drivers over Rajib killing
Police have pressed charges against two bus drivers in a case filed over the death of Government Titumir College student Rajib Hasan due to reckless driving in the capital in 2018.