Dhaka:Nearly 300 families have been completely wiped out in road accidents over the past 6 years and 10 months, according to an analytical report released by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF) today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, RSF's executive director Saidur Rahman highlighted an increasing trend of entire families being killed together in road accidents. The report, which analyzed data from 2020 to October 2026, noted growing incidents where entire families or multiple family members were killed while traveling in various vehicles such as motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, private cars, microbuses, ambulances, and buses.
Rahman explained that the report was prepared using information from nine national daily newspapers, 17 online news portals, electronic media, and RSF's own database. Among the findings, 193 motorcycle accidents resulted in 386 deaths involving husbands and wives, while 159 incidents led to the deaths of 318 fathers and children. Auto-rickshaw accidents claimed 1,728 lives in 525 crashes, with multiple family members often involved.
Microbus accidents led to the deaths of 708 people across 186 incidents, with significant numbers of family members perishing in each crash. Private cars were also involved in fatal accidents, with 352 people killed in 108 incidents. Ambulance and bus accidents further contributed to the toll, resulting in 162 and 85 deaths respectively.
The report identified several causes for these crashes, including families traveling together for work or leisure, the operation of auto-rickshaws on highways, lack of vehicle fitness certification, inadequate driving skills, and non-compliance with traffic laws. To address these issues, the foundation recommended measures such as the use of high-quality helmets, compliance with traffic laws, construction of road dividers, and enhanced monitoring of vehicle movement.
RSF also stressed the importance of improving institutional effectiveness, transparency, and accountability, alongside educational and public awareness initiatives to enhance road user knowledge and capabilities.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha