The 28th anniversary of ‘World Day of Remembrance’ (WDoR) for Road traffic victims is observed on November 21. It is annually observed on the 3rd Sunday in the month of November by the United Nations(UN).
- WHO (World Health Organization) & the UN Road Safety Collaboration encourage all road safety stakeholders to commemorate the WoDR to pay homage and support to families of people of fatal road accidents.
Objectives: To act as an appropriate acknowledgement for victims of road traffic injuries and their families.
Theme of WoDR 2021: “Remember. Support. Act”
WHO data on Road accident & fatalities:
i.According to WHO, approximately 1.3 million people die each year from fatal road traffic crashes and between 20 and 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability.
- It also costs countries serious economic loss, as annually, Road accidents cost most countries around 3% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
ii.In India, road accidents led to 1,51,000 lives lost in 2019 and these fatalities remain a serious cause of concern.
iii.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has set the target of halving the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2030.
Historical background WDoR:
i.The World Day of Remembrance for European Federation on Road Traffic Victims (FEVR) was started by RoadPeace in 1993
ii.On 26th October 2005, the UN endorsed it as a global day, since then the WoDR has been observed and promoted worldwide.
About United Nations (UN):
Secretary General– António Guterres
Headquarters-New York, United States of America (USA)
Member states– 193
Founded– 1945