The World Day of Remembrance for Road
Traffic Victims is commemorated on
the third Sunday of November each year. It is a high-profile global event to
remember the many millions who have been killed and seriously injured on the
world’s roads and to acknowledge the suffering of all affected victims, families
and communities – millions added each year to countless millions already
suffering: a truly tremendous cumulative toll. According to the United Nations,
about 1.3 million people die in car accidents every year, and another 50 million are
injured or disabled.
The Day has become an important tool in global efforts to reduce road casualties. It offers an opportunity for drawing attention to the scale of emotional and economic devastation caused by road crashes and for giving recognition to the suffering of road crash victims and the work of support and rescue services.
The objectives of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims are to provide a platform for road traffic victims and their families to: remember all people killed and seriously injured on the roads; acknowledge the crucial work of the emergency services; draw attention to the generally trivial legal response to culpable road deaths and injuries; advocate for better support for road traffic victims and victim families; promote evidence-based actions to prevent and eventually stop further road traffic deaths and injuries.
Unfortunately, the accident rate in Ukraine is one of the highest in Europe. Among the main reasons are violations of traffic rules, speeding, and drunk driving, low level of culture of behavior on the road and appropriate assistance to victims. Every year we lose an average of 3,000 of our citizens on the roads. Such statistics are shocking and sad because these lives ended abruptly. Someone thought it could not happen to him, someone relied on luck, someone just did not expect that evil fate awaits around the corner, but their lives and destinies, unfortunately, changed in an instant.
Funeral services for those killed in road accidents will be held in churches of all denominations in Ukraine on this day. The International Charitable Foundation «Assistance to Victims of Road Accidents» joins these activities. We bow our heads in common prayer. We express our deepest condolences to those who lost their relatives and friends in the car accidents. We also appeal to all drivers to turn on the low beam headlights on their cars on November 21 in solidarity and support, thus honoring the memory of those killed in the accidents.
Yes, it is impossible to bring lost lives back, but we can prevent future tragedies by strictly following the rules of road safety, being careful, being aware, and taking care of yourself and those around!
The Day has become an important tool in global efforts to reduce road casualties. It offers an opportunity for drawing attention to the scale of emotional and economic devastation caused by road crashes and for giving recognition to the suffering of road crash victims and the work of support and rescue services.
The objectives of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims are to provide a platform for road traffic victims and their families to: remember all people killed and seriously injured on the roads; acknowledge the crucial work of the emergency services; draw attention to the generally trivial legal response to culpable road deaths and injuries; advocate for better support for road traffic victims and victim families; promote evidence-based actions to prevent and eventually stop further road traffic deaths and injuries.
Unfortunately, the accident rate in Ukraine is one of the highest in Europe. Among the main reasons are violations of traffic rules, speeding, and drunk driving, low level of culture of behavior on the road and appropriate assistance to victims. Every year we lose an average of 3,000 of our citizens on the roads. Such statistics are shocking and sad because these lives ended abruptly. Someone thought it could not happen to him, someone relied on luck, someone just did not expect that evil fate awaits around the corner, but their lives and destinies, unfortunately, changed in an instant.
Funeral services for those killed in road accidents will be held in churches of all denominations in Ukraine on this day. The International Charitable Foundation «Assistance to Victims of Road Accidents» joins these activities. We bow our heads in common prayer. We express our deepest condolences to those who lost their relatives and friends in the car accidents. We also appeal to all drivers to turn on the low beam headlights on their cars on November 21 in solidarity and support, thus honoring the memory of those killed in the accidents.
Yes, it is impossible to bring lost lives back, but we can prevent future tragedies by strictly following the rules of road safety, being careful, being aware, and taking care of yourself and those around!
