The Faces Behind the Numbers: On World Day of Remembrance, eight cities across the globe address road safety deaths and injuries
Over 1.25 million people around the world will die this year as a result of a road traffic crash, and more than 50 million will be injured. Road traffic crashes are the leading killer of the world’s youth, and low- and middle-income countries, where 90 percent of road deaths occur, bear a disproportionate burden. Without urgent action, road traffic crashes are projected to rise from the ninth to the seventh leading cause of death globally by 2030.
To reverse this deadly trend, Vital Strategies is working with cities with high crash rates around the world through the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS). We are supporting them in tackling four key risk factors contributing to road traffic deaths: low seat belt and helmet use, speeding, and drink driving.
As more of the world’s population moves to cities, this work is increasingly important. Vital Strategies is working with global and local partners to improve infrastructure, create policies that promote safer road and vehicle conditions, and promote a comprehensive approach to preventing traffic deaths.
On November 19, 2017, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, citizens from around the world came together to remember the lives lost on the roads, putting a spotlight on this growing problem.
Eight cities participating in the BIGRS project took part in various activities to put faces and stories to the crash data. In an emotional outpouring about lives cut short, families gutted, massive tributes were paid to victims these entirely preventable losses.
Bogota, Colombia, paid homage in a public tribute to 585 people who lost their lives on the roads last year by reading aloud personal stories and by laying candles in the shape of the most vulnerable to fatalities: pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Several other cities participated in this day of mourning and tribute. In Bandung, Indonesia, people gathered to honor victims and plans to offer free counseling to those affected by road traffic crashes.
In Fortaleza, Brazil, hundreds gathered in a flash mob to honor the 281 people killed on the city’s roads last year, donning white shirts and gathering on an iconic beach as a solemn trumpet song filled the air.
Mayor Mohamed Sowah presided over a memorial event on the N1 highway in the Lapaz neighborhood of Accra, Ghana, a crash laden area the city aims to transform as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Partnership for Healthy Cities.
Next week, the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, also plans to bring together city officials and road crash victims to honor those lost.
Mumbai, India, launched a billboard campaign, utilizing 35 spaces throughout the city to share victims’ stories, emphasizing the need for increased helmet use.
In Bangkok, Thailand, a journalist delved into the dangers of a deadly stretch of a city road, telling the story of a mother who nearly lost her daughter on the road in a televised video piece.
Sao Paulo, Brazil, took to social media, honoring loved ones lost with posts throughout the day.
Sao Paulo, Brazil, took to social media, honoring loved ones lost with posts throughout the day.
Each event was important, but together the efforts show the global nature of a tragic and preventable issue. But we also know that there are universal solutions — measures that can be undertaken in any city or country that are proven to reduce road death and injury.
Crashes are preventable. They are not accidents. We must remember that we have the power to change global road safety for the better.
Improved law enforcement, strong mass media campaigns that remind motorists of the severe consequences accompanying risky road behavior and enhanced data collection can all play a part in making this global tragedy one of the past, not of our future. We implore governments around the world to put a greater priority on road safety issues to make their cities safer places to live and work.
