World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
Statement of the Chair of the UN Road Safety Collaboration
20 November 2016
On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we mark the occasion by honouring the more than 1.2 million people killed on our road’s every year, and the many millions more who are injured.
As the World Health Organization and partners have advocated for nearly two decades, there are solutions to this human-made calamity. Countries must accelerate action to improve laws and enforcement on risks like speeding; redesign roads with protective infrastructure such as sidewalks; and ensure that vehicles everywhere are equipped with life-saving technologies.
This year’s World Day of Remembrance highlights the fact that even after a road traffic crash occurs, there is an enormous opportunity to save lives and reduce disability.
Countries can do this by providing timely emergency care, medical treatment, psychological support, and rehabilitation for the injured.
They should also investigate crashes and provide justice to the injured and bereaved.
Today still, too many countries fail to provide this much needed post-crash care.
This should be addressed, as it is estimated that appropriate emergency care could save half a million lives each year.
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target 3.6 to reduce by 50% by 2020 the number of people killed and injured on our roads, we must work to ensure such measures.
On this World Day of Remembrance, let us honour in the best way possible those who have lost their lives, and take the urgent steps needed to make our roads safe for all.
My colleagues and I wish you a successful World Day of Remembrance.
Etienne Krug
Director
Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention
World Health Organization
