When law enforcers break law…only to hurt themselves
Deaths from road accidents among police personnel are almost 10 times higher than those in the case of people in general
Believe it or not, police personnel, who are duty bound to enforce the law, appear to be major lawbreakers on the roads, endangering their own lives.
Deaths from road accidents among police personnel are almost 10 times higher than those in the case of people in general – 30 deaths in 1 lakh people among police compared to 3.2 among the masses, says a study of Bangladesh Police itself.
The reasons, revealed in the study, are self-explanatory. Policemen, while riding, consider themselves to be more powerful than others, prompting them to disregard traffic rules, checking the fitness of their vehicles or keeping driving-related documents.
"Secondly," says the study, "during their movement on roads, police members feel overconfident. The thought of getting legal aid from colleagues encourages them to take more risks on the road."
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The study team analysed 529 road accidents involving police personnel to detect the reasons behind such accidents and suggest ways to mitigate risks on roads and improve efficiency.
The team comprised Md Abdur Razzak, additional inspector general (planning and research) at Bangladesh Police, AKM Mosharraf Hossain Miazi, AIG (traffic management), at Bangladesh Police, and Md Hasanul Bashar, sub-inspector (planning and research-2) at Police Headquarters.
Sense of impunity and superiority leads to self-damage
While moving on the roads on their vehicles, mostly motorcycles, police members hardly carry licences and other documents as they think will get away with things no matter what traffic rules they break. The vehicles they ride do not have their fitness checked as well, according to the study.
Besides, on many occasions, policemen drive vehicles under mental pressure and restlessness, which at times will likely lead to road accidents. What is more intriguing is that police members meet with road accidents without colliding with other vehicles in 32% of the cases, the findings reveal.
They mainly fall victim to such casualties because of reckless and careless driving. There are instances of their falling prey to accidents while recklessly chasing vehicles.
According to the findings, which appeared in the March issue of the Bangladesh Police mouthpiece The Detective, 99% of the road accident victims are male because of their involvement in risky duties.
Of them, 66% are aged between 21 and 40 as members of this age group are engaged in frontline duties and more likely to be exposed to road accident risks, it noted.
Constables are more vulnerable to road accidents along with SI, ASI and sergeant level members of the force. In 64.8% of cases, they meet with road accidents in the daytime between 6 am and 6 pm. In most cases, policemen riding pillion experience road fatalities.
"We always try our best to make our staff compliant so that they can avoid negligence-induced road accidents," Md Kamruzzaman, assistant inspector general and spokesperson of Bangladesh Police, told The Business Standard.
How to minimise accident risks among policemen
Referring to experts, the study says policemen should be provided with proper vehicle driving training during their recruitment.
It is also imperative to arrange regular training and briefing for them. There also should be programmes to boost their motivation, it notes, adding that they should be trained to be more careful while riding motorcycles.
The study also suggests that all police personnel obtain driving licences on completion of proper training. Their driving skills should regularly be checked, it notes.
The study team also proposes giving priority to skilled drivers while appointing them in jobs. If necessary, a quota system can be introduced for them, it points out.
Experts say the causes behind road fatalities the study has pointed out need to be addressed promptly.
Police's reckless behaviour on road unacceptable
Muhammad Nurul Huda, former Inspector General of Police
Policemen in Bangladesh consider themselves more powerful than others in terms of movement on roads. It is not good. It does not send a good message to society.
Police personnel work for law enforcement. Their reckless behaviour is not acceptable at all.
Field-level policemen should be monitored by their supervising officers. If necessary, departmental action can be taken in case of any negligence.
Even if senior police officers do not abide by traffic rules, action can be taken against them too. After looking into whether there was any wrongdoing on part of the police in a road accident, it is necessary to take preventive action against them.
To this end, the Bangladesh Police must take every necessary measure.
Former IGP Nurul Huda spoke to TBS Correspondent Asadulla Lion over the phone
Programmes coming soon to address police's attitude
Md Kamruzzaman, Assistant inspector general and spokesperson of Bangladesh Police
We always advise our field-level personnel, who use motorcycles, about safety. They are asked to wear helmets and other protective gear and drive in a proper way. Also, they are instructed to mandatorily have driving licences.
The supervision is a continuous process. However, accidents are not expected at all. We always try our best to make our staff compliant so that they can avoid negligence-induced accidents.
We also prohibit them from driving at night, in foggy weather or rainfall.
Several studies are being conducted to find out the reasons behind the soaring road accidents in which policemen fall victims and to chalk out effective solutions.
Some programmes (initiatives) are likely to be introduced soon following the studies.
Causes behind cops' fatalities need prompt response
Shahdeen Malik, Lawyer, Supreme Court
The police finding that road fatalities are the highest among cops is not anything new, rather it has been an open secret.
The reasons for the road accidents the police study noted appear to be very logical. Among the law enforcing agencies, the Bangladesh Police probably is the first who revealed the tragic truth.
Police are responsible for the country's law and order, and curbing mishaps on roads. But both different international and national human rights organisations repeatedly said the Bangladesh Police had failed on the duty. They not only largely failed to bring traffic order but also failed to save their own lives.
The causes for road fatalities the study pointed out need to be addressed promptly. And the government should be more sincere to the serving policemen.
Besides, the police headquarters should take up effective steps to prevent such mishaps.
[Shahdeen Malik talked to The Business Standard Senior Reporter Rezaul Karim over phone on Wednesday]
Cops' rash driving inspire others to follow suit
Professor Md Hadiuzzaman, Director, Accident Research Institute (ARI), Buet
Police members are role models to society and common people. So, prompted by excessive self-confidence and feeling of being influential, their reckless driving of motorcycles and other vehicles without fitness and licence as well as overtaking are unwanted.
Ordinary private drivers or even ride-sharing drivers follow them. In such cases, if policemen do not obey traffic rules, it does not send a good message to society.
Again, we have seen at various times that government drivers and city corporation drivers behave recklessly on roads and many of them do not even have a driving licence.
We have been trying to restore order on the road for a long time but such behaviour is hampering that effort and discouraging others from obeying the law.
The police department has taken the good initiative of carrying out dope tests on everyone. I appreciate it.
Besides, I think a large part of the police force has to spend a long time on field-level duty. They are constantly struggling to maintain law and order as well as the traffic system. In many cases, law enforcement is almost impossible due to various hostile environments.
But how to give them peace during duty, arranging their sitting, nutritious food and washrooms should also be looked at. These people do their duty in the scorching sunshine and in the rain.
If they have to drive a motorcycle when they feel exhausted on their way home from duty, the possibility remains that they may fall into an accident.
In addition, their duty hours should be set and they should be kept away from stress so that they do not feel exhausted. I would like to emphasise that the traffic police should not use motorcycles in any way during their inter-district travelling.
Prof M Hadiuzzaman spoke to TBS Staff Reporter Zia Chowdhury over the phone.
