All was well for Mehanaz Sultana Happy until Wednesday. A third year student at Rangpur Medical College, she always dreamt of dedicating herself to the cause of the poor and destitute. And she was right on track.

But, on the fateful day her whole world fell apart within a few minutes, putting a big pause in her dreams.

On Wednesday evening, Happy and her three friends were going to a friend's house at Shahjahanpur in Bogra by a CNG-run auto rickshaw. On their way, a speedy microbus hit the auto rickshaw flinging her on the road. The microbus then ran over her right leg.

She was first taken to Bogra Medical College and later to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor) in the capital.

To save her life, doctors at Nitor amputated her leg from beneath the knee, said Happy's sister Sabiha Parveen, herself a physician.

But Happy is only one of the thousands

who fall prey to reckless driving every year. Though thousands of lives are cut short by rash driving, the authorities seem little concerned about taking stern action to check the menace.

A number of nongovernment organisations are vocal about road safety, but accidents due to reckless driving continue to happen almost every day.

Some do survive these accidents with minor injuries but others face extreme hardship with permanent disabilities. Responsible drivers are hardly held accountable and the victims rarely get any compensation.

Road accident victims account for the highest number of patients in Nitor. In 2011, as many as 9,103 such victims were admitted to the hospital, which is 45 percent of its total patients, according to Nitor's Health Bulletin 2012.

The number of road accident victims being brought to the hospital is still alarming, said Dr Shaukat-ul-Bari of Nitor.

According to reports published in five national dailies, road accidents caused around 7,000 deaths and over 12,000 injuries

across the country last year, said actor Ilias Kanchan, also chairman of Nirapad Sarak Chai, an organisation that champions road safety.

These numbers are disturbing but the authorities seem little concerned, he told The Daily Star yesterday.

"In our country those who can drive well are considered skilled drivers. But a skilled driver needs to know the road thoroughly and follow the signs.

"But laws are rarely followed in our country," said Kanchan.

Happy's accident raised concerns among her friends and well-wishers, who formed a human chain in the capital's Central Shaheed Minar yesterday, demanding road safety for all.

Happy's father Golam Sarwar demands exemplary punishment for reckless driving.

But, lying on a bed at Nitor, Happy is probably getting prepared to face the harsh reality waiting for the rest of her life.