World Day of Remembrance

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDoR) is an official United Nations day commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year to remember the millions of lives lost or hurt by traffic crashes. It is a day of solidarity for families, friends, and loved ones who have been affected by a traffic crash, and is an opportunity to advocate for safer roads and road victims’ rights around the world. It is also a day to thank traffic-crash emergency services and first responders, while reflecting on the tremendous burden that crashes and resultant injuries and fatalities make on economies, health care systems, and—most importantly—people, around the world.

Resources

To learn more about the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims and how you can commemorate the day in your community, find some resources here: 

• WHO: Publications and resources to support World Day of Remembrance. WHO also organize an annual global online commemoration for World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
• World Day of Remembrance Foundation: set up with the purpose of supporting the World Day of Remembrance, find here resources including the candle logo, posters, video, and the opportunity to log your World Day of Remembrance event.
• European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR): road victim organisations in the FEVR network have commemorated World Day of Remembrance since its inception in 1995. The day was recognized with UN status in 2005. Resources include a poster and video, as well as FEVR’s book: Stories to be Told Voices to be Heard.
• International Road Victim Partnership (IRVP): an international network of organizations supporting road victims. IRVP has produced a video, a wall of remembrance and a collection of video testimonies for the World Day of Remembrance.
• Federación Iberoamericana de Víctimas contra la Violencia Vial (FICVI): road victim organizations in the FICVI network have commemorated World Day of Remembrance since its creation in 2011. It has produced videos published through social media and activities with local governments in several countries in the region. 

World Day of Remembrance by Year

WDoR 2024

Remember – Support – Act: World Day of Remembrance 2024 will be commemorated on 17 November 2023, marked by online and in-person events around the world.

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WDoR 2023

Remember – Support – Act: World Day of Remembrance 2023 was commemorated on 19 November 2023, marked by online and in-person events around the world.

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WDoR 2022

Remember – Support – Act: World Day of Remembrance 2022 was held 20 November 2022.

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WDoR 2021

Retaining the theme Remember – Support – Act, World Day of Remembrance 2021 was commemorated by both online and physical events, including webinars, ceremonies, blood donation drives, and more.

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WDoR 2020

Under the theme “Remember-Support-Act”, socially distanced and online commemorations remembered those who lost their lives, sought support for those who survive, families and friends, and emergency service personnel and called for action.

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WDoR 2019

The theme of the 2019 World Day of Remembrance was “Life is not a car part”. This theme is based on Pillar 3 of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety – Safer vehicles and drew attention not only to those tragic deaths and injuries that are the immediate consequence of road traffic crashes but also those caused by air pollution from vehicles.

WDoR 2018

The theme of the 2018 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was “Roads have stories”.