Road safety charity Brake is encouraging everyone to remember families affected by road crashes as part of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims this Sunday 19 November.
The World Day is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year and it’s a time to remember all of those who have been killed and seriously injured on roads, and their families and friends. So far this year 285 people have died on New Zealand roads (as of 16 November [1]).
The theme of the day is Remember. Support. Act. As well as remembering those affected by crashes, the day is also a time to thank the emergency services for their role in saving lives, to reflect on the impact of road deaths on families and communities and the support they need, and to draw attention to the need for further action to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads.
This year the World Day has a focus on justice, including enforcement of traffic laws, thorough investigation after a crash, and criminal prosecution where appropriate. This not only provides justice for people who have been bereaved or injured in a crash, but can also form a key factor in prevention, as lessons learnt from these tragedies can help to prevent other people from being bereaved or injured.
Caroline Perry, Brake’s NZ director says: “As a charity that works with bereaved families, we see the devastating impact that road crashes have on the loved ones left behind. Families, friends and communities all suffer the consequences and their loved ones are never forgotten. The World Day of Remembrance provides an opportunity for us to remember all those affected by crashes, and to thank our emergency services for the work they do to try and save lives on our roads. It’s also an important opportunity to highlight what needs to be done to reduce road deaths and injuries, and to support people affected by crashes.”
A free memorial event is taking place in Orewa, Auckland to mark the day and the local community is invited to attend.
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
Sunday 19 November 2023
Arrival and refreshments from: 7.30pm
Memorial event: 8pm – 8.45pm
Families who have been affected by road crashes, emergency services workers, support professionals and members of the local community are invited to attend. The event will include a memorial ceremony with readings and poems, followed by the lighting up of a Norfolk Pine tree on Orewa Reserve which will stay lit every evening until the New Year. Refreshments will be provided.
Brake provides free support resources to families bereaved in road crashes. Its Coping with Grief and Procedures following a road crash guides for adults are available online. The guides, along with Brake’s children’s book, Someone has died in a road crash, are also available in hard copy format to order for free through Brake, just email info@brake.org.nz or call +64 (0)21 407 953.
The World Day of Remembrance was founded by the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR) and adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2005. Almost 1.3 million people die as a result of road crashes every year and tens of millions are seriously injured around the world [2]. You can find out more about the World Day of Remembrance at worlddayofremembrance.org.
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