The United Nations (UN) World Day of Remembrance (WDoR) for Road Traffic Victims is annually observed across the globe on the 3rd Sunday in November to pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives or suffered serious and irreversible damage to their health and to their surviving families in road crashes.
- WDoR for Road Traffic Victims 2023 falls on 19 November 2023. In 2022 it was observed on 20 November 2022 and in 2024 it will be 17 November 2024.
The day serves as the appropriate acknowledgment for victims of road traffic crashes and their families.
- The theme for WDoR for Road Traffic Victims 2023 is, “Justice” with the slogan, “Remember. Support. Act.”
Objective:
World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Road Safety Collaboration actively encourage all road safety stakeholders to commemorate the WDoR by,
- honouring those who lost their lives on global roads;
- advocating for enhanced support for victims and their families; and
- promoting actions for road safety.
Background:
i.In 1993 and 1994, the United Kingdom (UK) witnessed church services commemorating road traffic victims, organized by RoadPeace, a charity dedicated to road traffic victims, established in 1992.
- RoadPeace has been an affiliated member of the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR) since 1993 and FEVR is a member of the UN Road Safety Collaboration.
ii.From 1995, on the initiative of Brigitte Chaudry, the Founder of RoadPeace, road victim organizations within FEVR agreed to remember road victims in their respective countries on a common day and chose the 3rd Sunday of November.
iii.The UN Road Safety Collaboration Forum (UNRSC), established in 2004, deliberated on a global day to underscore road safety.
- The suggestion to endorse the WDoR internationally, originated from the FEVR, together with Brigitte Chaudry.
iv.On 26 October 2005, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution A/RES/60/5 on improving global road safety, by “designating the 3rd Sunday in November of every year as the WDoR for Road Traffic Victims.
- It was designated in recognition of road traffic victims and their families’ loss and suffering.
Significance:
i.In September 2020, UNGA adopted a resolution A/RES/74/299 “Improving global road safety”, proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with the target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
ii.WHO and the UN regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration, have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action 2021-2030.
Key Facts:
According to the WHO:
- Road traffic injuries claim 1.3 million lives annually, posing a significant threat to global health.
- Around 50 million people suffer injuries each year, leading to long-term disabilities.
- Individuals aged 5-29 face a substantial threat to their lives from road accidents.
- 1 in 4 global deaths occurs among pedestrians and cyclists globally.
