Dense fog causes deadly road crashes on highways during winter every year in the country. Fog-related road fatalities have already risen on different roads and highways.
At least 20 people were killed and many other injured in separate accidents on roads and highways in nine districts of the country in the last two days due to poor visibility caused by dense fog. In Tangail, at least four people were killed and 12 others injured as over 31 vehicles including buses, cars and trucks rammed into each other on Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu Bridge highway on Thursday morning as drivers failed to see the road clearly due to heavy fog, according to media report. Besides, over 17 accidents took place in different spots of the same highway on the same day. Apart from these, dense fog also caused a fatal multi-vehicle pileup on all roads and highways across the country.
Met Office predicts moderate to thick fog continue to occur over the river basins and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere over the country during late night to morning. As the fog reduces visibility, traffic collisions happen during foggy conditions every year on roads and highways.
When the country is witnessing fatal road mishaps and many people are dying every day due to unhealthy competition among drivers, reckless driving and a lack of monitoring by the authorities concerned, dense fog has deteriorated the situation. But, if the drivers check weather forecasts and follow the fog warning they can avert road disaster easily and stay safe.
Drivers and transport workers will
have to perform their responsibilities
properly to ensure passengers’ safety
Apart from roads and highways, we are also worried over unsafe waterways as many people meet their tragic fate due to various natural disasters including dense fog. Bangladesh is enriched with about 2,400km of waterways and for centuries, these waterways have been the most common, traditional, and cheapest way for people to travel in this region.
The water transport is the lifeblood of the country’s economy. But when thick fog descends over the country, arising out of the rivers, water bodies and canals, it makes very difficult for the masters or drivers of water vessels to drive properly.
A continued awareness campaign and strict enforcement of traffic rules are urgently needed to bring discipline on roads and highways and waterways. All the stakeholders must make concerted efforts towards improvement of road and water safety through engineering measures. Also, transport workers will have to perform their responsibilities properly to ensure safety when they will be on roads and highways and waterways amid dense fog.
