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 victims of road traffic injuries and their families.
- WDoR for Road Traffic Victims 2024 falls on November 17, 2024.
- The slogan for WDoR for Road Traffic Victims 2024 is “Remember. Support. Act.”
Objective:
WHO and the UN Road Safety Collaboration encourage all road safety stakeholders to commemorate the WDoR to
- Honor those who have died on the world’s roads
- Advocate for better support for victims
- Bereaved families and promote action to save lives
Background:
i.In 1993 and 1994, the United Kingdom (UK) began church services commemorating road traffic victims, organized by RoadPeace, a charity established in 1992.
ii.Starting in 1995, at the initiative of Brigitte Chaudry, the founder of RoadPeace, organizations within the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR) united to honor road traffic victims in their respective countries on a common day and chose the 3rd Sunday of November each year.
iii.The UN Road Safety Collaboration Forum (UNRSC), established in 2004, deliberated on a global day to underscore road safety.
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.
Significance:
i.In September 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 “Improving global road safety”, proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with the ambitious 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.
Global Road Safety Week (GRSW) 2023:
UN Global Road Safety Week (UNGRSW) is a biennial global road safety campaign hosted by WHO. It brings together individuals, governments, NGOs, corporations, and other organizations from around the world to raise awareness of road safety and make changes that will reduce the number of road deaths.
The 7th UNGRSW was held from 15 to 21 May 2023, with the theme #RethinkMobility .
Key Facts:
According to the WHO:
- Around 1.19 million people lose their lives annually due to road traffic accidents.
- Road traffic injuries are the primary cause of death among children and young adults between the ages of 5 and 29.
- Over half of all road traffic fatalities involve vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has set an ambitious target of halving the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2030.
