Over 15,000 Killed in Motorcycle Accidents in 6.5 Years: RSF Report

At least 15,712 people were killed and 14,143 others injured in 16,065 motorcycle accidents across Bangladesh over the past six and a half years, according to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF). The findings cover crashes recorded from 2020 through July 2026.

The report, signed by RSF Executive Director Saidur Rahman, was sent to the media on Saturday (August 8). According to the analysis, 3,548 crashes (22.08%) were head-on collisions, 5,497 (34.21%) occurred after motorcyclists lost control, and 6,314 (39.30%) involved collisions with heavy vehicles. Another 706 accidents occurred due to other reasons.

Providing a year-by-year breakdown, the RSF reported: 2020: 1,463 deaths in 1,381 accidents 2021: 2,214 deaths in 2,078 accidents 2022: 3,091 deaths in 2,973 accidents 2023: 2,487 deaths in 2,532 accidents 2024: 2,609 deaths in 2,761 accidents 2025: 2,671 deaths in 3,029 accidents Up to July 2026: 1,177 deaths in 1,311 accidents

The organization held goods-carrying heavy vehicles primarily responsible for the majority of these crashes. Goods vehicles including trucks, covered vans, pickups, tractors, trolleys, and lorries were responsible for 40.34% (6,481) of the accidents. Motorcycle riders themselves were solely responsible for 36.29% of cases. Buses accounted for 13.47%, three-wheelers for 4.55%, and private cars, microbuses, ambulances, and jeeps for 2.72%.

Highlighting age-group statistics of the victims, the report noted that 58% of those affected were between 13 and 35 years old.

The RSF identified several key factors behind the high rate of motorcycle crashes, including reckless riding by teenagers and youths, traffic law violations, weak enforcement of traffic laws, faulty road infrastructure, lack of safety technology and monitoring, insufficient affordable public transport options, and severe traffic congestion.