Road Accidents Claim 7,963 Children’s Lives in Bangladesh Over Seven Years

A total of 7,963 children were killed in road accidents across Bangladesh between 2020 and September 2026, highlighting the serious risks children face due to inadequate road management and limited awareness of traffic rules, according to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).

The report was compiled using information from nine national dailies, 17 national and regional online news portals, electronic media and the foundation’s own records.

An analysis of the fatalities found that 2,958 children, or 37.14 percent, died while riding or driving motorcycles. Another 2,812 children (35.31 percent) were killed as pedestrians after being struck by vehicles while crossing roads or walking along them.

Among pedestrian fatalities, three-wheelers accounted for the highest number of deaths. These included CNG-powered autorickshaws, other autorickshaws and locally manufactured vehicles such as Nasimons and Bhotbhotis, which were involved in 1,271 deaths, or 45.19 percent of all child pedestrian fatalities.

Heavy vehicles, including buses, trucks, covered vans and pickup trucks, accounted for 1,126 pedestrian deaths (40.04 percent). Private cars, microbuses, ambulances and jeeps were responsible for another 317 deaths, representing 11.27 percent.

Rural Roads Account for the Highest Number of Deaths

An analysis of accident locations revealed that rural roads recorded the highest number of child fatalities, with 2,713 deaths, accounting for 34.07 percent of the total.

Regional roads accounted for 2,082 deaths (26.14 percent), followed by highways with 1,974 (24.78 percent) and urban roads with 1,194 (15 percent).

Afternoon Emerges as the Deadliest Period

The report found that the afternoon recorded the highest number of child road fatalities, with 2,634 deaths, or 33.07 percent of the total.

Another 2,168 children (27.22 percent) were killed in the morning, while 1,813 (22.76 percent) died around noon. Night-time accidents claimed 598 lives (7.50 percent), while 546 children (6.85 percent) were killed in the evening and 204 (2.56 percent) in the early morning.

Teenagers Account for the Largest Share of Fatalities

Children aged 13 to 17 accounted for the largest proportion of road accident deaths, with 3,547 fatalities, representing 44.54 percent of the total.

Meanwhile, 2,884 children aged 6 to 12 (36.21 percent) and 1,532 children aged zero to five (19.23 percent) also lost their lives in road accidents during the period.

Thousands Killed While Travelling to School

The report revealed that 2,513 children, or 31.55 percent of the total, were killed while travelling to or from educational institutions.

Another 962 children (12.08 percent) died while playing on roads near their homes, underscoring the dangers children face not only during their daily commutes but also in residential areas.