1.35 million people are killed each year globally on the roads. Additionally, approximately 50 million are injured, many of them seriously. These staggering numbers of road crash deaths and serious injuries, which represent the leading cause of death for children and young adults globally, are intensified by the loss to families, friends and societies.
To remember those that are no longer with us or that were severely injured in a road crash, for over 20 years the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDR) is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year. This year, WDR 2021 puts the spotlight on the reduction of traffic speeds – Low speeds, which have the potential to prevent many deaths and serious injuries, in particular those of pedestrians and all other vulnerable road users including children, elderly and persons with disabilities.
The World Bank’s Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) has been responding to the global road safety crisis through funding, capacity building, communications, technical assistance, and advocacy, and is committed towards creating a safer road environment for all. To honor all roads’ victims, during WDR 2021 GRSF aims to bring forward impactful knowledge, stories and evidence-based road safety guidance, as in publications and tools that may contribute to mitigate this crisis.
On November 18, 2021, 8-9.00 am DC time, the World Bank GRSF team will be conducting a webinar to commemorate those who suffered from road crashes, highlight the World Bank response to this global crisis, and hear directly from a road crash victim on the challenges when involved in a road crash.