A total of 7,963 children were killed in road accidents across Bangladesh between 2020 and September 2026, highlighting the risks children face due to unsafe roads, poor traffic management and a lack of awareness about road safety, according to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).

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

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

Among child pedestrians killed in road accidents, three-wheelers accounted for the highest number of deaths, at 1,271, or 45.19%. These vehicles included CNG-run autorickshaws and locally made transport such as Nasimons and Bhotbhotis.

Heavy vehicles, including buses, trucks, covered vans and pickups, were responsible for 1,126 pedestrian child deaths, or 40.04%. Private cars, microbuses, ambulances and jeeps accounted for another 317 deaths, or 11.27%.

Rural roads recorded the highest number of child fatalities, with 2,713 deaths, or 34.07%, according to the report. Regional roads accounted for 2,082 deaths (26.14%), highways for 1,974 (24.78%) and urban roads for 1,194 (15%).

The afternoon was the deadliest period of the day, accounting for 2,634 child deaths, or 33.07%. Another 2,168 children (27.22%) were killed in the morning, 1,813 (22.76%) at noon, 598 (7.50%) at night, 546 (6.85%) in the evening and 204 (2.56%) in the early morning.

Children aged 13–17 accounted for the largest share of fatalities, with 3,547 deaths, or 44.54%. A total of 2,884 children aged 6–12 (36.21%) and 1,532 aged 0–5 (19.23%) were also killed.

The report found that 2,513 children, or 31.55%, died while travelling to or from educational institutions, while 962, or 12.08%, were killed while playing on roads near their homes.

The RSF identified several factors contributing to child fatalities, including roads and transport systems that fail to prioritise children’s safety, inadequate awareness of road safety among children, and a lack of guidance and training at home and in educational institutions.

Other contributing factors include unskilled and underage drivers, inadequate medical facilities for injured children and families’ inability to afford treatment.

The foundation noted that children were particularly vulnerable on rural roads, which often run close to residential areas. Vehicles frequently operate on these roads without following traffic rules, while the presence of law enforcement agencies to regulate traffic remains limited.

Children’s limited knowledge of road safety further increases their vulnerability, the report said, expressing concern over what it described as inadequate attention to the issue from both government authorities and the public.

The foundation warned that unsafe road conditions were causing children to lose their lives or suffer permanent disabilities, resulting in irreparable losses to the nation.

To reduce child fatalities, the RSF recommended making roads and transport systems safer for children and raising awareness of road safety at home and in educational institutions.

It also called for strict action against unskilled and underage drivers, stronger treatment capacity at district-level hospitals for road accident victims, and a special government fund to cover their medical expenses.

The foundation further stressed the need to ensure effective implementation of the Road Transport Act 2018.