The third Sunday of November each year is designated as the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) set aside November 18, 2007 to remember the over one million people killed and 20 to 50 million injured in road traffic crashes each year worldwide, and to draw attention to the devastating consequences of these deaths on families and communities. Though a major public health problem, most road traffic injuries are preventable by increasing helmet, seat belt, and child restraint use; reducing drunk-driving and speeding; and developing appropriate infrastructure, such as improved road layout and design.
Road crashes are the leading cause of death in people ages 5 to 34 in the United States, the leading cause of death globally for children and young people ages 10 to 24, and the third leading cause of death globally among people ages 30 to 44. Every six seconds someone is killed or maimed on the world’s roads, including drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
The economic impact of road crashes is also significant. In low- and middle-income countries, the cost of road traffic injuries is estimated at up to one hundred billion dollars a year, money that could be spent on schools, hospitals and economic development. Road traffic injuries cost countries between 1% and 2% of their gross national product.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 as a special day to acknowledge victims of road traffic crashes and their families. In adopting the resolution, the United Nations General Assembly also invited Member States to implement the recommendations of the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention (WHO, 2004), and to establish national lead agencies on road safety, along with action plans to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries.
In October 2007, the U.S. Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 39, supporting the goals and ideals of a world day of remembrance for road crash victims.
