The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDR) is commemorated worldwide including India on every third Sunday of the November Month to remember the many millions killed and injured on the world’s roads.
On Sunday November 17 will be observed as World Remembrance day for road crash victims to raise awareness about the importance of road safety.
.“The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDR) was initiated by the road traffic victims in 1993 and is dedicated to remembering all those killed and injured on the world’s roads and all those affected by their death or serious injury/permanent disability. The United Nations had endorsed it in the year 2005 as a global day, making it a major advocacy day for road traffic injury prevention.” said Mr K K Kapila, President, Emeritus , Geneva based International Road Federation,(IRF) a global body pursuing the mission of safe roads and safe road mobility.
“ India accounts for more than 12 per cent of global road accident deaths, during the year 2018 more than 1.51 lakh died in road accidents . The total number of 4,67,044 accidents and 1,51,417 deaths in the year 2018 in the country translates into an average of 1,280 accidents and 415 deaths every day and nearly 53 accidents and 17 deaths every hour” said Mr Kapila.
“ As per Ministery of Road Transport and Highways data about 29% of deaths were attributed to non-use of helmets and 16% of fatalities were attributed to non-use of seat belts. Overloaded vehicles accounted for about 12% deaths,” he said.
“ Most of road accident deaths are preventable as it takes only one second to fasten a seatbelt. Drinking and driving is not only a fatal combination, but it endangers everyone else on the roads. Every single motor vehicle fatality is a tragic and heart-breaking event that too often didn’t need to happen. The National Day of Remembrance raises awareness about the importance of road safety. It’s equally important that road users go beyond that one day and think about road safety every day of the year,” said Mr Kapila.
“The UN believes that a day of remembrance is a way to draw attention to the consequences and economic loss on account of road traffic crashes and to put in place measures that can be taken to prevent them. Its aim is to remind governments and individual members of the society of their responsibility to make the roads safer. Only then will the United Nations goals under the ‘UN Decade of Action’ envisaging a target of reducing road accident deaths world wide by 50 Per Cent by the year 2020 be achieved.” said Mr Kapila.
“Road accidents and resultant deaths and injuries are a national problem that must be addressed immediately as the damage caused is enormous in terms of lives and injuries sustained on victims and the huge cost to treat over 5,00,000 who get injured other than deaths. ” he added.
