On World Day of Remembrance: Advocates Rally for Lifesaving Road Safety Policies

Road safety advocates around the world observed World Day of Remembrance (WDoR) for Road Traffic Victims on November 17. According to the World Health Organization’s 2023 Global Status Report on Road Safety, road crashes remain the leading cause of death for children and youth aged 5 to 29 globally. This annual observance honors the millions of survivors, victims and families affected by road crashes each year. The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) Road Safety Program collaborated with civil society organizations across multiple countries and alongside other Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety partners to emphasize the critical need to advance road safety policies. These efforts focused on addressing five priority behavioral risk factors to enhance road safety: child restraints, drink driving, helmets, seat belts and speed. GHAI supported the initiatives through live events, dynamic social media campaigns, media outreach, webinars, influencer engagement and video production to amplify their impact.

Bangladesh

Amid the current political instability, the road safety coalition called a meeting with key decision-makers to advocate for a robust new road safety law based on the UN-endorsed SAFE System Approach. Attendees included government and non-government stakeholders such as the Highway Police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the Road Transport and Highway Division, the Road Transport Owners Association and the Road Transportation Workers Association. BRAC concluded its WDoR activities with an event at BRAC University featuring special guest Ilias Kanchan of Nirapad Sarak Chai and a candlelight vigil to honor lives lost in road crashes.                                                                        

Colombia

GHAI partner Red PaPaz led an event titled “En la vía escoge mi vida” (Choose My Life on the Roads) to advocate for child road safety measures, including the Child Restraint System (CRS) law currently under debate in Congress. Fifty people attended in-person and 133 virtually, including leaders from the National Road Safety Agency and the office of the Secretary of Mobility. Universidad de los Andes Grupo Sur and the Ciudad Humana Foundation organized a breakfast with lawmakers to support Representative Daniel Carvalho’s bill, which proposes a demerit point licensing system, licenses for novice drivers and regulations on motorcycle use by children and adolescents.  The Colombian Coalition decorated a tree in Simón Bolívar Park with over 600 plaques bearing the names of road crash victims, creating a lasting tribute. Grupo Sur hosted activities such as webinars, vigils, and online storytelling by advocates sharing experiences of crash victims. National media outlet El Tiempo published over 10 articles covering these events.

Ecuador

Advocates called on decision-makers to finalize the Implementing Rules and Regulations for the 2021 Transit Law, to improve the penal code for traffic violations, and reduce tariffs on imported safety equipment, including CRS and certified helmets. The Coalición Movilidad Segura and Fundación CAVAT, alongside government authorities, organized a symbolic act where family and friends of road crash victims placed painted handprints on the number “250” to commemorate the lives lost in Quito in 2023. This event drew over 90,000 views and hundreds of online engagements.

India

Advocates from the Road Safety Network in India addressed a memorandum to the Hon’ble Transport Minister and Additional Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh’s Transport Department, urging stricter measures against speeding and the adoption of speed management guidelines by IIT Kharagpur. The memorandum highlighted alarming statistics from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ 2022 report, which recorded 54,432 road crashes in Madhya Pradesh resulting in 13,427 deaths, with speeding accounting for 3,247 fatalities. A cyclethon and walk, drawing over 400 supporters, was organized by the National Centre for Human Settlements & Environment and Consumer Voice in New Delhi, in collaboration with organizations such as Mahila Chetna Manch and the Bhopal Bicycle Riders Group.

Mexico

GHAI partner Salud Justa mobilized advocates for a candlelight vigil in front of the Mexico City Congress. Messages advocating for harmonizing the CDMX Mobility Act with the General Mobility and Road Safety Act were projected onto the building’s facade. The demonstration highlighted the need for policies aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries from road crashes.

Uganda

The Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda (ROSACU) organized a series of impactful campaign activities, including a live X Spaces chat that reached hundreds of thousands of viewers, engaging both policymakers and the public. In collaboration with the Ministry of Works and Transport, ROSACU hosted a vigil and other events to advocate for critical road safety measures, such as announcing updated speed limit regulations, establishing school zones by December 2024, and adopting helmet and child restraint system standards.

Ukraine

GHAI partners Center for Democracy and the Rule of Law (CEDEM) and LIFE, did not take to the streets for events to commemorate WDoR due to the ongoing war. They developed a communications campaign, which included a press release, an article, social media posts and a blog on the importance of wearing helmets while riding motorcycles. Oksana Levitska’s from LIFE, stated that the  blog on the media portal Rubryka served as a vital reminder to Ukrainians that speeding and lack of helmet use account for a significant number of total fatal traffic crashes in Ukraine. She also participated in two radio shows to discuss the current issue of motorcycle helmet standardization and speed.

WDoR serves as a key observance to reflect on the human toll of road crashes and drive action to address road safety policy gaps. These activities represent just a snapshot of the impactful work GHAI’s in-country partners are leading to save lives on the roads. As road crashes continue to pose a pressing global challenge, the urgency for effective policies and advocacy remains paramount.