Safe Road Day Brings Grim Sylhet Figures: 288 Lives Lost on Roads in Nine Months

Safe Road Day is being observed today. But on the eve of the occasion, a worrying picture of road safety in Sylhet Division has come to the fore — in just the first nine months of this year, 288 people have lost their lives in road accidents across the division.

So many deaths in a single division in nine months points directly to the severity of the road safety crisis. On average, the figure means more than thirty people have died on the region's roads every month.

Behind every number lies a family's shattered dreams. Many of those killed in road accidents are their families' sole earners, so a single crash pushes an entire household into uncertainty.

The main purpose of Safe Road Day is to raise awareness among road users. Its central message is that drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike should follow the rules.

Large numbers of vehicles travel every day on the highways and regional roads of Sylhet Division. As roads are the main means of communication between the divisional city of Sylhet and its districts, traffic pressure on these roads remains very high.

Reckless speed, a tendency to overtake, driver fatigue and inexperience, and carelessness among pedestrians are usually identified as the main causes of road accidents. Observers believe Sylhet's picture is no exception to that general reality.

Experts have repeatedly said that reducing accidents requires, alongside enforcement of the law, proper driver training, vehicle fitness checks, and identifying and repairing dangerous bends and spots.

Simple habits such as motorcyclists wearing helmets and drivers using seatbelts can also play a major role in reducing fatalities, according to people who work on road safety.

Caution matters for pedestrians too. Following simple rules — using footpaths, crossing roads at designated points and not stepping suddenly in front of moving vehicles — can prevent many accidents.

Although awareness programmes are held around the day, a question remains: how much can a single day's observance change the everyday picture on the roads? Real change requires year-round, sustained monitoring and enforcement.

The figure of 288 deaths in nine months is therefore not just a statistic; it is a warning. How safe Sylhet's roads become in the days ahead will depend on the combined awareness of the authorities, drivers and the general public.