World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (20/11)

In October 2005, by its resolution (A/RES/60/5), the UN General Assembly declared the third Sunday of November as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

This international event is designed to draw the attention of all people on the planet to a sad fact: all over the world, more than three thousand people die every day as a result of road accidents and about 100 thousand are seriously injured. Most of the dead and injured are — young people.

The purpose of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is to honor the memory of road traffic victims and express condolences to their families, and to once again remind governments and responsible organizations of the need to ensure road safety for all citizens.

According to UN figures released in December 2018, every year road accidents claim 1.35 million lives (that is, every 24 seconds someone dies on the roads). Another 20 to 50 million people suffer various types of injuries. Such accidents are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5 to 29 years. Half of all deaths in road accidents occur among pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.

Among the main causes of road accidents — are speeding, alcohol consumption, lack of technical inspection programs for vehicles and devices that ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.

Most of the dead and injured are — youth (Photo: spflaum, licensed from Shutterstock.com)

In September 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 «Improving road safety around the world», proclaiming the 2021-2030 Decade of Action for Road Safety. with the ambitious goal of preventing at least 50% of deaths and injuries from road accidents by 2030. WHO and the UN regional commissions, in collaboration with other UN Road Safety Cooperation partners, have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action.

Every year, an increasing number of countries around the world hold various events as part of this Day's program. Remembrance Day has become an important tool in the context of global efforts to reduce the number of road traffic victims. It provides an opportunity to highlight the extent of emotional suffering and economic losses associated with road accidents and to properly assess the suffering of road traffic victims, as well as the performance of support and rescue services.

In addition, the UN is holding a global road safety week to raise awareness of child injuries and deaths on the world's roads and improve road safety.



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