A Burning Cigarette on a Moving Bus: An Overlooked Threat to Road Safety
Kazi Mohammad Hasibul HuqWhen we talk about road safety in Bangladesh, the conversation usually revolves around familiar concerns: unsafe roads, unfit vehicles, reckless driving, unlicensed drivers and excessive speed. These are undoubtedly major risks. But there is another, less visible form of dangerous behavior that deserves far greater attention-smoking while driving.A cigarette in the hand of a driver may appear to be nothing more than a personal habit. Behind the steering wheel of a moving bus or truck, however, it becomes a potential source of distraction. Finding a cigarette, reaching for a lighter, lighting it, handling the cigarette, shaking off ash and dealing with a dropped or burning cigarette can all compete with the driver's primary responsibility: maintaining contin...