It is evident that speeding is one of the major causes of road traffic crashes and severity of injuries. The number of deaths on the road is also high due to speeding related crashes. Lower speed means lower risk of crashes. The global road safety community focuses on the reduction of speeding, especially in the cities where different vulnerable groups of people and vehicles share the same road.
The Joint Transport Research Centre (JTRC), founded by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) in 2006 identified vehicle speeding causes one-third fatal road crashes. ECMT stated that speeding increases the risk of road traffic crashes and severity of injuries and death. Speeding also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, fuel consumption, noise and adverse impact on quality of life, especially people living in urban areas.
The first (2008) and edition (2023) of the Speed Management manual published by WHO, FIA Foundation, Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and World Bank identified speeding of motor vehicles increases the vulnerability of pedestrians, bicyclists, motorbikes, or three wheelers on the roads. This manual illustrated evidence that speeding reduced drivers’ visual field and peripheral vision of the road environment that increases risk of crashes and recommended limiting vehicle speed through proper management as major solution for road safety.
The risk of fatal injuries would increase with speeding that obstacles the vehicles from stopping while it is needed, as excess speed requires more distance. This manual shows that if an object (human or animal) comes on the road with 36-meter distance, a 50 km/h speeding vehicle can stop before the object. But 60 km/h would make a touch, and 65 km/h would hit with a speed of 30 km/h that would cause serious damage to the object. Gradually, 70 km/h, 75 km/h and 80 km/h vehicle can hit the object at 43 km/h, 53 km/h and 62 km/h respectively and would be fatal, eventually, the object would be killed. The damage increases with speeding.
The Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety 2020 and the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 recommended road safety should be based on the Safe System Approach that includes speed management. The WHO recommends 30 km/h for the roads in the cities where many people use roads at a time, including pedestrians, cyclists etc. The pedestrians include different age and abilities such as children, elderly persons, pregnant women and persons with different abilities (physically challenged person).
In Bangladesh, both highways and city roads are not safer for
the vulnerable road users for various reasons
including speeding. Data is limited in Bangladesh to know the number
of road crashes and death linked with speeding, but
these are regular occurrence
In Bangladesh, both highways and city roads are not safer for the vulnerable road users for various reasons including speeding. Data is limited in Bangladesh to know the number of road crashes and death linked with speeding, but these are regular occurrence. The WHO report Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023 estimated death were 31,578 in 2021 in Bangladesh.
In this context, the government of Bangladesh is aiming to make progress to promote road safety through limiting speed of motor vehicles on the road. Based on types of roads and types of vehicles, the Road Transport and Highways Division of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges approved the ‘Motor vehicle speed limit guidelines 2024’. As authorized government organization under section 44 of the Road Transport Act 2018 and Rule 125 (sub-rule 4) of the Road Transport Rules 2022, the BRTA notified the guidelines in May 2024.
This guideline limits speed based on the type of roads and types of vehicles in the whole country including city roads. Such as,
• National and regional highways crossed with 6 lanes with footpaths and internal roads of city/municipalities, maximum speed limit is 40 km/h for light and heavy passenger vehicles, 30 km/h for goods carrier vehicles, motorbikes, and articulated motor-vehicles.
• Primary urban roads without dividers and have two lanes, speed limit is 40 km/h for light-vehicles, 30 km/h for motorbike and all heavy vehicles (bus, minibus, truck, mini truck, covered van etc.) are banned.
• Three-wheelers require permission to operate on the city roads and the speed limit is 30 km/h.
• Type of narrow/share roads and other roads in the cities, speed limit is 30 km/h for light-vehicles and goods carrier motor-vehicles and 20 for motorbikes and three-wheelers.
The local government institutes (such as city corporations) or roads developers or authorities can limit speed in relevant areas of education institutes, religious institutes, hospitals, residential, and local market (hat-bazar) areas of the city. However, this should be maximum 40 km/h for national highways and 30 km/h for regional highways those crossed within the cities.
Slower vehicles including goods carriers should drive in the left lane where overtaking in left-lane is prohibited. One vehicle can overtake another vehicle through the right lane if overtaking is not banned on those roads. However, overtaking should consider the road sign, road marking, front and back spaces, and speed of front, back and opposite vehicles.
BRTA should prepare a supportive manual shortly to ensure effective implementation of this speed limit guideline 2024. In this process, local government institutes (such as, representatives from city corporations, pouroshobha, union parishad etc.), government offices (including metropolitan polices, highway police, roads and highways department, Bridge Division, Roads and Highways Division), and academia (such as Accident Research Institute, BUET) and non-government organizations (such as Nischa, road safety coalition) should be included. A strong collaboration and coordination are necessary to ensure adoption of the manual on enforcement of the speed limit regulation 2024, as well as road traffic law-rules.
To support the enforcement of road safety laws, mass media campaigns are important that can make and educate people to change their behavior. Therefore, massive campaigns would be necessary on the importance of speed limit, the consequences of speeding and punishment for the violation of the speed limit guidelines. Campaign would be effective when materials are strong, effective, and easily understandable.
In this regard, displaying signages at the intersections, signals, and bus stands, utilizing social media, websites, and other media with clear messages would be helpful. Also, training of traffic police can strengthen enforcement of speed limit guidelines.
It is expected that the interim government will take necessary measures to ensure effective coordination among stakeholders and will arrange mass media campaigns with evidence-based communication materials to be aware and educate people regarding speed limit guidelines. Combination of coordination and communication will enhance the implementation which will reduce road traffic crashes, death and injuries on the road.
Abdul Wadud, Initiative Coordinator, Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), Dhaka, can be reached at <wadud@bigrs.org>
