Victims of Road Traffic Accidents in Greater Dhaka: A Study on the Livelihood Patterns of the Survivors

Abstract

Road accident is a catastrophic phenomenon nowadays with ever-rising trend across the world. It has become a daily happening in modern life as almost everyday we see through the news of such kind of accidents in newspapers. People irrespective of race, religion, caste, creed and age are susceptible to road accidents. Therefore, it is being addressed worldwide as a burning issue. Every year a huge number of people are dying and getting injured in road accidents. Hence, this occurrence has turned out to be a significant problem both in terms of loss of human life and economic misfortune. Road accidents have become a great concern for Bangladesh like many other countries across the globe and the road safety situation here is on a steep fall. Additionally, by international standard, the road safety issue is critical here. The number of road accidents, injuries and fatalities has increased rapidly especially in the recent years. It can be noted in this regard that Bangladesh presently has one of the highest rate of fatality due to road accidents. It is really heartbreaking that a road accident takes place usually involving just a single individual, but the entire family of the victims gets affected emotionally, socially, and economically. Besides, a good number of victims hold the chance of recovering from their injuries sustained during road accidents, but many of them who suffer serious injuries do never recover fully. A segment of them even suffer from a sort of permanent disability. On getting permanently disabled, they lose their earning capacity and this tragedy put a heavy burden on their families and societies. The growing concern over road traffic injuries and road safety issues notwithstanding, it has been noticed that such accidents receive insufficient attention in Bangladesh. Even people in some cases seem to have accepted road accidents as a part of their life. Meanwhile, a very limited number of studies have been conducted on road accidents, especially on the survivors of road accidents. In view of such a reality, the present study has been carried out in order to know the livelihood patterns of the road accident survivors. The specific objectives of the study were (a) to know the demographic and socio-economic condition of the road traffic accident survivors; (b) to understand the causes, nature and consequences of road traffic accidents; (c) to know the nature of rescue and treatment situation of the survivors; (d) to explore their survival patterns in the family as well as in the society; and (e) to assess the vulnerabilities and the adaptation mechanism in line with the challenges of their lives. A qualitative method is applied to conduct this study, which has been facilitated by case study approach because qualitative research method gives the researcher a deeper understanding of social phenomena. The area of study included six districts of Dhaka division that was once known as Greater Dhaka. The road accident survivors who eventually turned into persons with disabilities following the accidents were purposively selected as sample and the size of the sample was 19 (nineteen). Both male and female survivors, who were physically active and contributing to the household income before accident, were selected as subjects. To know the locations of this type of survivors help was taken from hospitals, trauma centers, upazila social service offices, police stations and different organisations working in the field. In obtaining desired outcomes, required data were gathered from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data were collected from selected samples and participants of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) while the secondary data were gathered from published and unpublished research journals, reports, books as well as from documents and records of relevant agencies in this regard. As it is a qualitative study in nature which is facilitated by case study approach , mainly face-to-face interview technique through using semi-structured interview schedule was applied to collect in-depth information. In addition, FGDs, and observation techniques were used to gather further details. This thesis paper presented various aspects of road traffic accidents in Greater Dhaka and the livelihood patterns of survivors of the accidents. The study applied ―Sustainable Livelihood Framework‖ as the theoretical framework to analyse the findings because this framework was quite useful to assess the vulnerability context of the road accident survivors; to identify the assets and/or capitals they possessed for livelihood; to weigh up the prevailing social, institutional and organisational environment; to identify livelihood strategies they deployed; and to measure the outcomes they had. However, the study findings showed that the rate of road traffic accidents in Greater Dhaka is comparatively higher than other parts of the country. The region is located at the centre of the country and the city of Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh also a part of it. The capital city is connected with the whole country by roads and the ensuing pressure of different types of vehicles on the roads is naturally higher than anywhere else. So, the area remains the most vulnerable to both in terms of total number of accidents and the accident rates as well. This study examined the nature and risk factors associated with the cause of road accidents faced by the survivors. The nature of road traffic accident was revealed through the analysis of road traffic accident data and it was found that accidents did take place at different times. But night and morning were the periods when accidents occurred in most of the cases. The majority of accidents took place on the highways. On the other hand, most of the accidents ware head-on collision in type. Only one incident was identified when a single vehicle was found to have collided with a big roadside tree. Most of the accidents were serious in nature. There was also a higher rate of leg injuries found in the study. It was also revealed from the study that the reckless or careless driving and the defective vehicles were the important causes of road accidents in this area. The study also identified unskilled driving, night-time driving, foggy weather, using cellphone while crossing roads as the important risk factors associated to the cause of road accidents. To be acquainted with their socio-economic conditions, the different livelihood assets and/or capitals e.g. natural capital, physical capital, financial capital etc. they possessed were explored. With regard to the livelihood patterns, the study found that almost half of the respondents are residing in urban areas and they do not have lands, ponds, trees or livestock. Even they do not have homestead of their own. As a result, they are to live in rented house or at shanties on the khash land of the government. On the other hand, the respondents living in rural areas have more or less natural capital or assets like homestead, farmland, ponds, trees etc. All of the rural respondents have at least homestead wherein there are various types of trees as well as vegetable gardens. A few of them have cultivable lands, ponds while the female family members rear domestic animals, poultry etc. at home. In this study, housing conditions, toilet facilities, source of drinking/bathing water, electricity, household furniture, electronics and jewellery etc. were considered as significant components of physical capital. In respect of physical capital, it was revealed that the housing condition of the respondents is not good as a whole. Almost all the respondents of urban areas live in rented houses wherein they avail electricity, water, gas, sanitation facilities etc. However, in rural areas, some respondents are deprived of electricity, gas and pure drinking water-like facilities. Besides, the findings pointed out that most of the respondents do not have enough financial return or income to maintain a standard living. In Bangladesh, the road accident survivors who become physically disabled are not often considered for financial inclusion. In cases of prolonged treatment of the survivors, the family may end up selling most of their assets and even getting trapped into long term indebtedness. To explore the survival patterns of the road traffic accident survivors was another objective of this research. It was manifested that the survival patterns of the accident survivors got changed after occurring accidents in their lives. Most of them depend, to some extent, on their family members for their survival. In some cases, they tried to become independent by doing even small types of activities for the sake of earning their livelihood. Nevertheless, those who depend on their family members often considered themselves as burden to families although all of their families do not treat with them as burden. Even in some families, they were treated and supported very well by the family members. Vulnerability was another analytical principle of the livelihood framework, which was relevant to this study. With regard to vulnerabilities of the respondents, the study revealed that all of them were physically disabled due to the road accidents and disability itself was the main factor of their vulnerability. As disability limits a survivor's capacity to earn as s/he cannot get involved in almost any type of income earning activities. Furthermore, as they became disabled, it ultimately reduced their ability to perform almost all types of work, as a result some of the victims lose their previous jobs that reduced their income. Lack of access to employment was found to be the most common concern for the disabled road accident survivors and it was one of the most important reasons of their vulnerability. Besides, most of the respondents were found to be financially insolvent and did not have access to credit or other forms of finance. They had a very limited livelihood asset to maintain a standard living. Among them, some grew up in poverty and some became poor after occurrence of such tragic accidents. Hence, it is evident that road accident has exerted a tremendous economic impact on the victims. A few respondents were even suffering from health-related problems include diseases like diabetes, heart disease, back pain etc. coupled with their disabilities. Due to the river erosion, two respondents were found who lost their cultivable land and homestead, which was apparently responsible for their vulnerability and their miserable condition. Even though different factors made the respondents vulnerable, they adopted various livelihood strategies for survivals. All of the respondents were physically active and involved in income generating activities before facing road accidents, but they had to change their livelihood strategies after accidents. Nobody could go back to their previous jobs following their disabilities. The study found that most of them adapted their livelihood strategies like small businesses, poultry farming, running tea stall, household work, street vending, house renting, driving, small shop keeping, sewing, electronics repairing work, begging and the like. A few of them were fully dependent on their family members and out of nineteen only one respondent chose begging for livelihood. The study findings revealed that the survivors of the road traffic accidents were suffering from various problems. The sufferings of them especially who became disabled due to road accidents knew no bounds. They were not economically well off and their condition worsened after getting disabled because of the road accidents. They did not have anything left to invest for generating income. Accordingly, most of them recommended taking initiatives for the rehabilitation of road accident victims like them by the way of providing financial assistance. The facilities of microcredit, disability allowance and so on can be vital options for financial assistance. Employment opportunities can also be a powerful indication of inclusion and mainstreaming them in the society. There are numerous road accident survivors who have the quality or capacity to get employed. Sadly, only because of disability they are kept out of employment opportunity. They can be self-employed through small business or by running small shops. Some of the respondents suggested allocating khash land by the government for them to reside as well as build market for some sort of business. One of the respondents recommended providing treatment at low cost or free of cost for the road accident survivors. In addition, the number of orthopaedic hospitals and trauma centres should be established so that the injured road accident victims can be shifted rapidly there for better treatment. The study concluded showing that the RTAs had adversely affected the livelihood patterns of the survivors. The researcher, therefore, thinks that the study will help understand the livelihood patterns of road accidents survivors. Furthermore, the findings of the study will be able to contribute to formulate appropriate policy in reducing the road traffic accidents and the sufferings of the accident survivors.