Speed Management and Safe Crossing on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway (N2) in Bangladesh

Foreword
Road traffic crashes are a major problem in low <strong>and</strong> middle-income countries (LMICs). Over
90 percent of the world’s road traffic deaths occur in LMICs. Low-income countries (LICs)
bear a disproportional risk; with only 1% of the world’s registered motorized vehicles,
LICs have 12% of the world’s road traffic deaths. Around 60% of road traffic deaths in
LICs are vulnerable road users. Pedestrians <strong>and</strong> cyclists are especially at risk of an injury
as a result of excessive vehicle speeds (WHO, 2013).
Bangladesh has over 100 road traffic deaths per 10,000 motor vehicles, one of the
highest rates in the world. Many crashes occur at ‘black spots’, concentrated areas with a
high road crash burden <strong>and</strong> about 70% of crash fatalities occur in rural areas.
This pilot demonstration project <strong>Speed</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Safe</strong> <strong>Crossing</strong> on N2 Highway in
Bangladesh’ has been implemented at three locations (Nilkuthi, Namapara <strong>and</strong> Kunderpara)
of Dhaka-Sylhet (N2) highway of Bangladesh. This road has many black spots <strong>and</strong> a high
number of pedestrian fatalities. The pilot is innovative in both the selection of implemented
interventions (a combination of effective <strong>and</strong> relatively low-cost measures) <strong>and</strong> in the
approach to monitor pre- <strong>and</strong> post-intervention data.
Our interventions, which consisted of small scale infrastructural measures for traffic
calming, education to vulnerable road users <strong>and</strong> an active community involvement have
resulted in a reduction of more than 60% in road crashes, traffic fatalities <strong>and</strong> traffic
injuries at the selected spots. Moreover, estimated social economic return at 6000 % for
this project which is tremendous.
This program shows the enormous impact that can be made by investing in road safety.
Achieving the target set by Bangladesh government to make the number of road fatalities
half by 2020 is possible if the Bangladesh government acts now. The project has got an
extensive coverage in leading both electronic <strong>and</strong> print media. Moreover, its being presented
in the Netherl<strong>and</strong>s, Brazil, China, where it’s being praised as a perfect demonstration of
evidence based intervention project.
We would like to acknowledge the Ministry of Road Transport <strong>and</strong> Bridges, Roads <strong>and</strong>
Highways Department, Narsingdi Roads Division <strong>and</strong> other local stakeholders for the
extensive support during the implementation of the project. We are very much looking
forward to work with Bangladesh government on a roll out of this successful program to
other high-risk corridors within the road network in Bangladesh.
Prof. Dr. AKM Fazlur Rahman
Executive Director, CIPRB
Dr. Martijn Thierry
Director, <strong>Safe</strong> <strong>Crossing</strong>s
Report on <strong>Speed</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Safe</strong> <strong>Crossing</strong> on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway (N2) in Bangladesh 4