Road safety

Through the “Facilitate Initiative for Assured Life” (LIFE) Project, BRAC’s Road Safety Programme implements community-based interventions to promote safer roads for all users, with a strong focus on awareness, behaviour change, and risk reduction. To date, more than 1.4 million road users, 561,000 students, and 5,600 teachers have received training on safe road use practices. Key initiatives include Drivers’ Vision and Cataract Screening, which identifies undiagnosed vision impairments among drivers and facilitates access to treatment to improve driving safety; Community Speed Watch, which monitors vehicle speeds at crash-prone locations and shares data with traffic authorities to support enforcement; and Star Rating for Schools (S4S), which assesses road safety conditions around school zones using international standards and advocates for safer infrastructure and traffic management. Together, these initiatives strengthen community engagement, promote responsible road behaviour, and contribute to reducing crash risks in project areas.

Bangladesh’s roads can be safer; and BRAC is leading the way. BRAC Road Safety Programme, in partnership with the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) hosted by the IFRC, is taking bold steps to make Bangladesh’s roads safer for everyone. Our project named “Advocating Legislative Change to Improve Safe Road User Behaviour in Bangladesh” takes a comprehensive approach to road safety, focusing on strengthening legislation, promoting the use of certified helmets, and reviewing and updating motorcycle helmet standards to save lives. We support the government in drafting and enacting a Comprehensive Road Safety Law (CRSL) and ensure effective implementation of the Bangladesh Helmet Standards 2022, helping reduce injuries and fatalities on the road. Through active participation in national road safety committees, policy dialogue, stakeholder engagement, and coalition-based advocacy, BRAC works to build strong support among government agencies, civil society, and the public. By aligning our efforts with GRSP’s global best practices, we aim to strengthen helmet standard enforcement, promote safer motorcycle use, and foster a culture of road safety that protects communities across the country.

The SHIKHA Project is a BRAC-led initiative supported by the European Union and implemented in partnership with Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and Young Power in Social Action (YPSA). The project aims to prevent sexual harassment and gender-based violence (GBV) and create safer public spaces for women and girls in Bangladesh, with a strong focus on the public transport sector. Through the BRAC Road Safety Programme, the project conducts awareness campaigns, promotes bystander engagement, and provides orientations for transport workers, teachers, and students to prevent and respond to harassment. It also supports research and data collection on sexual harassment in public transport and collaborates with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and transport associations to strengthen policies and preventive measures. Implemented in six districts—Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Rajshahi—the project works with transport workers, civil society, youth, and institutions to foster safer environments and promote positive behavioural change.

In Bangladesh, motorcycles are more than a mode of transport—they can be a pathway to independence, confidence, and economic opportunity for women. The BRAC Road Safety Programme, in collaboration with the World Bank, is championing this vision through “Promoting Women Motorcyclists in Bangladesh”, an initiative designed to make riding safe, accessible, and empowering for women across the country. Research conducted by BRAC Road Safety Programme in Dhaka and Chattogram with over 700 respondents uncovered both the promise and the challenges: while demand for women motorcyclists is high, social norms, financial barriers, limited training, licensing gaps, and safety concerns continue to hold many back. The study also revealed untapped opportunities for women to use motorcycles for faster, safer commutes and income-generating work in ride-sharing and delivery services. Guided by these insights, BRAC Road Safety Programme is piloting women-focused training programs that combine technical skills, safety, and licensing readiness, while building partnerships to improve access to financing and employment opportunities. Through advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based solutions, BRAC is helping women overcome barriers, challenge stigma, and ride with confidence—unlocking not just mobility, but independence and economic potential.

Road traffic injuries are an escalating public health and development crisis in Bangladesh, claiming thousands of lives and causing serious injuries every year. While the 2018 High Court-endorsed guidelines for emergency medical services and protection of Good Samaritans laid a foundation, most crash victims still receive little to no care before reaching a hospital. To bridge this critical gap, BRAC Health Programme and BRAC Road Safety Programme, in partnership with Bangladesh Health Watch (BHW), are piloting a community-based emergency trauma response system at two high-risk road crash sites. The initiative named “Piloting the Emergency Medical Services Protocol for Road Crash Victims” operationalizes the nationally endorsed guidelines, covering three crucial stages: on-site response, transport, and facility-based care. The pilot model mobilizes trained Community Health Workers, strategically placed volunteers and transporters, a 24/7 call centre, and digital coordination groups linking responders with law enforcement, fire services, and healthcare facilities. By delivering structured, time-sensitive trauma care from the crash site to hospital handover, the project seeks to reduce preventable deaths and disabilities, while testing the model in real-world conditions to identify challenges, highlight best practices, and generate evidence for a potential nationwide scale-up. Through this project, BRAC is not only helping reduce preventable deaths and injuries but also contributing to SDG Target 3.6, moving Bangladesh closer to halving road traffic fatalities by 2030 and ensuring safer, faster, and more coordinated emergency care for all road crash victims.

Through the AGNEE – Awareness, Actions, and Advocacy for Gender-Equal and Safe Spaces for Women and Girls project, BRAC, in partnership with Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), implemented community-driven interventions to prevent sexual harassment (SH) and gender-based violence (GBV) across workplaces, educational institutions, public transport, and digital platforms in Gazipur and Rajshahi. Supported by the European Union, the initiative focused on strengthening reporting systems, promoting gender-responsive services, and empowering communities to create safer and more inclusive environments for women and girls. Over the three-year project period, AGNEE reached more than 265,000 people through awareness campaigns, orientations, and community engagement initiatives. The project trained and engaged 37,770 community women workers, 31,577 men and boys, 19,289 students, 1,000 transport workers, 280 CSO members, and 168 journalists to strengthen awareness and response mechanisms related to SH and GBV. Key interventions included the formation and strengthening of Sexual Harassment Redressal Committees (SHRCs) in schools and RMG factories, awareness campaigns in public transport, legal aid and psychosocial support for survivors, and service mapping to connect victims with essential protection and referral services. The project also facilitated collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, transport associations, schools, media, and community leaders to advocate for safer public spaces and stronger safeguarding systems. AGNEE successfully contributed to reducing incidents of harassment in workplaces, educational institutions, and public transport through awareness building, community mobilisation, and institutional strengthening. The project also supported survivors through legal assistance, referrals, and counselling services while promoting long-term behavioural and systemic change.

Road Safety Programme observes the UN Road Safety Week by reinforcing its dedication to safer roads through awareness, advocacy, and collective efforts to reduce road traffic injuries and save lives.

Road Safety Programme observes National Road Safety Day in Bangladesh on 22 October, reaffirming its institutional commitment to advancing road safety nationwide.

Road Safety Programme observes the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on the third Sunday of November every year, honoring those who lost their lives in road crashes globally and within BRAC, while also conducting awareness sessions to promote safer road practices.