World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

People lighting candles in remembrance of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims Initiated in 1993 by RoadPeace (UK national charity for road crash victims), the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, was endorsed by the UN in October 2005 as a global day to be observed across the world on the third Sunday in November each year. This annual global advocacy event is designated to recognize and pay respect to the thousands of people who are killed and injured as a result of road crashes every day. It also acknowledges the work of all those involved in the aftermath of a crash – fire, police and ambulance personnel, doctors, nurses and counsellors.

In 2006, a guide for organizers was jointly developed by WHO, the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims and RoadPeace. This guide is meant to assist individuals and organizations wishing to plan events and develop related advocacy materials. It also offers suggestions for collaborating with many sectors to ensure that the advocacy opportunity of this day is fully realized.

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims: a guide for organizers [pdf 468kb]

2011

The World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims was celebrated in 2011 on 20 November under the theme: From Global Remembrance to Global Action across the Decade, adding to the momentum created by the launch of Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, which took place on 11 May 2011.

Message from the UN Secretary General on the World Day of Remembrance, 2011 [pdf 23kb]

Statement by Chair of the UN Road Safety Collaboration (WHO Director of the Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability), 2011

2010

The year 2010 was witness to the declaration of the first ever "Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020" by the UN General Assembly. To commemorate the day, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean hosted a big event, the first of its kind in the Region, on 21 November. The ceremony was organized by the Egyptian Road Safety Federation. The Egyptian Road Safety Federation is a consortium of 11 nongovernmental organizations working in the area of road safety in Egypt.

Message from the Regional Director on the World Day of Remembrance, 2010 [pdf 24kb]

Message from the UN Secretary General on the World Day of Remembrance, 2010 [pdf 18kb]

Statement by WHO Director of the Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, 2010 [pdf 8kb]

Country activities

Afghanistan - Press release