World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, 18 November 2012

Nearly 3,500 people die on the world's roads every day. Tens of millions of people are injured or disabled every year. Children, pedestrians, cyclists and the elderly are among the most vulnerable of road users.

In his annual statement dedicated to the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Secretary-General Ban emphasized the need to "commit to minimizing road traffic deaths and injuries as part of our quest for an equitable and sustainable future". This year's theme is From Global Remembrance to Global Action across the Decade - Now is the time to learn from the past: Let’s make 2011-2020 a Decade to remember!

The Day was started by RoadPeace in 1993. Since then it has been observed and promoted worldwide by several NGOs, including the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR) and its associated organizations.

On 26 October 2005, the United Nations endorsed it as a global day to be observed every third Sunday in November each year. The day was created as a means to give recognition to victims of road traffic crashes and the plight of their relatives who must cope with the emotional and practical consequences of these tragic events.

WHO and the UN Road Safety Collaboration encourage governments and nongovernmental organizations around the world to commemorate this day as a means of drawing the public's attention to road traffic crashes, their consequences and costs, and the measures which can be taken to prevent them.

Additional links:

• Official website (www.worlddayofremembrance.org)
• WHO - World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
• WHO - Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability (VIP)
• Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 - United Nations Road Safety Collaboration