World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

Senator Chris Van Hollen
Congressional Record: 115th Congress
16 November 2017

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 
commemorates the millions of people killed and injured on the world's 
roads. It is also a day to thank emergency services for their role in 
saving lives; to reflect on the impact of road deaths on families and 
communities; and to draw attention to the need for improved 
legislation, awareness, infrastructure, technology, and post-crash 
responses to save more families from the tragedy of losing a loved one.
  The theme of this year's World Day of Remembrance is ``2020 Target: 
Reduce Road Fatalities and Serious Injuries by 50%.'' It refers to the 
UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 which calls on governments and 
their stakeholders, including NGOs and private citizens, to address the 
personal, medical, and financial burden that road deaths and injuries 
cause; 1.25 million people die from road crashes every year, and tens 
of millions are seriously injured. Road traffic crashes are the No. 1 
killer of young people aged 15 to 29 and the eighth leading cause of 
death among all people worldwide.
  Rochelle Sobel, president of the Association for Safe International 
Road Travel, said, ``The World Day of Remembrance is an important 
opportunity to stand together with the global community to commemorate 
road victims and call for an end to the crisis on our roads. No one 
should have to go through the needless, preventable loss of a child, a 
brother, a mother, a friend, killed in a road traffic crash. This 
year's theme to reduce the number of deaths by 50% by 2020, reminds us 
of the need to drive responsibly, educate our children, and advocate 
with our governments to implement and enforce policies that will 
protect road users and prevent more families from suffering the pain of 
losing a loved one on the road.''