"A strong and healthy person may become disabled and burden for his family as well as society at any time due to road accident. But we are not conscious enough to avoid it. We usually like to drive vehicles with high speed and overtake other transports which are the main causes of road accidents in our country," said the adviser while speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of the first United Nations Global Road Safety Week at the auditorium of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons at Mohakhali in the city.

This year the theme of the week, that began from yesterday, is: 'Young Road Users'.

The health adviser claimed that Bangladesh has to suffer a loss of Tk 5000 crore and around 12000 lives annually due to road accidents.

"Our 1.5 percent GDP wastes away annually due to road accident which is preventable. We can avoid road accident by increasing our awareness," he added.

The adviser suggested road dividers including the creation of separate lanes for different vehicles and awareness programmes for all especially drivers.

He also asked the doctors to be more alert in providing treatment to victims of road accidents.

"Emergency care unit will have to be opened in all hospitals and health centres for proving better treatment for road accident victims," he added.

Dr Duangvadee Sungkhobol, World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Bangladesh, said road accidents claim around 12000 lives in the country every year, including 3500 people who are aged below eighteen.

Vice-chancellor Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Prof Dr ANM Safiullah said co-ordinated efforts of law enforcing agencies and different non-government and voluntary organisations are needed to reduce road accidents and ensure better health services to the injured.

He laid emphasis on raising consciousness for compliance with traffic rules, cautious movement of pedestrians on the streets and carrying of accident victims to hospitals at the earliest possible time.

Liberation War Affairs Secretary AKM Mahbubul Alam, Health and Family Welfare Secretary Ehsan Ul Fattah, Committee Chairman and Health Services Director General Shahjahan Biswas and National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) Director Prof Siraj-ul-Islam also spoke on this occasion.