WITH ONE DEATH EVERY 24 SECONDS, THE UN CHIEF CALLS FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY

Mon 22 November 2021:

On Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for the protection of human life at a time when one person is killed in a traffic accident every 24 seconds.

“Every 24 seconds a life is cut short because of a road traffic collision. The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is a time to reflect on the tragic deaths of millions of people,” the top UN official said in a message for the world day.

This year’s theme emphasizes the necessity of lowering traffic speeds to prevent mortality and serious injury, particularly among young women and men just starting out in adulthood, pedestrians, and other vulnerable road users like as children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

“I urge every country, company and citizen to support local and global efforts to make roads safer, especially in low- and middle-income countries where more than 90 percent of the world’s road fatalities occur,” said Guterres.

“I also encourage all member states to accede to United Nations road safety conventions and implement whole-of-society action plans – and urge all donors to scale up much-needed financial and technical contributions through the United Nations Road Safety Fund.”

“As we look ahead to next year’s high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly to improve road safety, let us remember that every one of us has a role to play in keeping roads safe,” said the secretary-general.

“Today and every day, let us commit to make roads safer for everyone, everywhere,” he said.

Every year on the third Sunday in November, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is observed as a fitting tribute to victims of traffic accidents and their families. It was founded in 1993 by the British road accident victim organisation RoadPeace and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005.

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