Road Safety: A new definition of luxury?

The chaos in which we go about our days in Dhaka city speaks volumes of how we are willing to grit through. They say that we thrive by surviving the concrete jungle's current and longstanding law. Some might even go far enough to say that there is an order among our curated chaos.

But, are we supposed to just survive? Are we expected to grind through our prime years and hope to live a safe life that is almost impossible to attain? Is there a true sense of public safety – at all?

Five members of a family, including two children, were crushed to death by a girder of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), because the crane carrying the heavy load, toppled midway due to an 'unexplained' reason, which is still under the investigations.

How did it actually happen?

The work was being done during peak traffic hours and without any public safety border. So, whatever the actual reason may be for the crane to tumble, it is irrelevant. It was not even supposed to be on the 'roads at all', in the peak hours of a busy afternoon!

As harrowing as this story may sound, it is not unheard of, in the city of Dhaka. A few months ago, two were killed as a lorry rammed into a motorbike on the flyover. If that does not fit your bill, a couple of years ago, students were run over by a bus in the capital. The list goes longer every single day. Those who have been affected by such incidents directly or indirectly have come to realise that they are nothing but working ants living to build an anthill, while few of their brethren fall off the mountain on a daily basis.

We no longer possess the ability to grieve.

Besides putting a label on these incidents as accidents while giving thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families, what can we do to ensure our safety?

To put it bluntly and regrettably, the 'ROADS ARE NOT SAFE', and given the record of accomplishment, we cannot confirm, at least not anytime soon, our own safety while we are on the roads. Be it reckless driving, bad road conditions or gross negligence, we are on our own. As it is expected of us, we just need to survive better and grow more cautious by growing an extra pair of eyes.

On a serious note, we can avoid a few things from now on —

Road Safety Tips:

Avoid heavy construction sites on the road; take a detour (if possible).

Check road conditions and traffic before heading out.

Plan a route beforehand and stay updated on construction sites on the road.

Stop being in a hurry and avoid reckless driving; head out two hours before if it is necessary.

Avoid jaywalking

Use foot-over bridges and pedestrian crossing (zebra crossing), where available, to cross roads

And most importantly, look at your left and right properly before crossing a road. If there is any vehicle in close proximity, refrain from crossing until it's out of sight.

Ask the traffic police, to help you cross roads in case of any difficulty.