World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

Today, Sunday 19 November, we join road safety groups everywhere to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

This vital event in the road safety calendar had its origin in 1993 as the response by RoadPeace to road crash victims’ need for public recognition, which was more readily given to victims of other types of crime, disaster or war.

According to RoadPeace it was also seen as a day to commend the vital work of those involved in the aftermath of a crash – including fire, police and ambulance teams, doctors, nurses and counsellors. The European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR) then observed this day of remembrance for 10 years along with RoadPeace.

This led to the World Day being created. On 26 October 2005, the United Nations General Assembly called on all Member States to adopt and recognise the third Sunday in November of every year as the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

The UN believes this is an appropriate acknowledgement for victims and families of road traffic crashes and also a way to draw attention to the consequences and costs of road crashes and to measures that can be taken to prevent them. Its aim is to remind governments and individual members of society of their responsibility to make roads safer.

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is now observed in countries in every continent of the world. For more information about international activities visit www.worlddayofremembrance.org

Today also marks the start of Road Safety Week,  with its theme ‘Let’s talk about speed.’