Supportive Organizations and Individuals
Messages from supportive organizations and individuals
World Day of Remembrance #WDoR2017
Mike Deangelis sent this very powerful and heartfelt message via Facebook:
Today we remember the victims of road traffic; we think of the millions of people who died and of those left behind to mourn. We think of the millions of the seriously injured and handicapped.
We think about the brutality of a tragically failed model of transportation that has nothing to do with progress. We think of those who will follow that tragic destiny, God knows, for how many more years due to the world’s continuing indifference and the lack of drastic action.
Today we call the people of the 21st century, governments and organizations, scientists and entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders and intellectuals, people in the media and the publicity sector, to become actively involved and join their efforts in one common mission: putting an end to the cruelty of the inconceivable, beyond any reason massacre on the roads of the world.
About a decade ago, activities like the Campaign for Global Road Safety and the subsequent launch of the Decade of Action made us hope an end or at least some considerable control of that incredible worldwide massacre could be near; that hope proved to be very far from reality. Initiatives were taken, lives were saved, probably thousands, yet we still have the MILLIONS that are not saved.
You can’t call a success having achieved just one percent of your goals or even less. The vast majority of people all over the world remain unaware of the tragic dimensions of the problem. Apparently, there’s something wrong with road safety awareness campaigning, its’ intensity as well as the selected strategies. Websites and Facebook pages of international road safety initiatives have only a few visitors per day whereas there are millions of people who visit and follow the social media of an artist or an actor.
Something went wrong and we have to find it. The World Day of Remembrance for the millions of road traffic victims could serve as an alert and a starting point for reviewing the action taken so far and for planning a much more aggressive approach which is obviously needed.
The ordinary people everywhere in the world must be alerted; they must become aware of the grim reality: on the world’s roads, a horrific, insidious war is going on and everyone’s life is at stake, every single day.
Keiner muesste sterben, jeder koennte leben. Kein Verkehrsunfallopfer bleibt unvergessen. Ihr Tod und ihre Verletzungen sind uns Mahnung und Ansporn zugleich, für einen Straßenverkehr zu arbeiten, der die Menschen vor Verletzungen bewahrt. Der Welt-Gedenk-Tag ist eine gute und sehr wichtige Aktion!
Heute ist der internationale Gedenktag für die Unfallopfer im Straßenverkehr. Es ist fuer einige meiner Freunde auch ein Tag der Trauer um geliebte Familienmitglieder, die ohne eigenes Verschulden durch einen Verkehrsunfall aus ihrem Leben gerissen wurden. Ein Opfer ist immer schuldlos, wird von einem Unfallgeschehen zu einem Zeitpunkt getroffen, der schlechter nicht sein konnte. Unvorbereitet, schutzlos und chancenlos.
Es gibt immer noch viel zu viele Unfalltote, weltweit, europaweit und deutschlandweit. Gibt es ein ertraegliches Maß an Unfallopfern? Ich meine: Nein! Die „Vision Zero“, also das Motto „Keiner kommt um, alle kommen an!“ ist das Hauptmotiv meiner beruflichen und ehrenamtlichen Arbeit.
Nicht nur für meine grosse Familie, sondern auch für meinen großen Freundeskreis wuensche ich mir, dass niemand von ihnen bei einem Verkehrsunfall getoetet oder schwer verletzt wird. Jedes Unfallopfer zieht Kreise. Man schaetzt, dass von einem Unfalltod ca. 100 weitere Menschen aus dem familiaeren Umfeld, bei dem ich die engen Freunde immer mit einbeziehe, direkt durch den schmerzlichen Verlust betroffen sind. Bei Schwerverletzten leiden ebenso viele oft ein Leben lang an den Unfallfolgen mit. Das sollte uns allen Ansporn genug sein, mit allen unseren Kraeften Verkehrsunfaelle zu verhindern, selbst Vorbild im Straßenverkehr zu sein und dessen Regeln zu beachten.
Meine Motivation ist tief verankert in meinem christlichen Glauben. Die Nächstenliebe – wie sie uns Jesus vor 2.000 Jahren vorgelebt hat – ueberschreitet die kuenstlichen und von Menschen geschaffenen Grenzen, die durch Nationen, Hautfarbe und Glauben gesetzt werden. Ich habe in den beiden letzten Jahren einen tieferen Blick nach China, Nordafrika und Arabien werfen duerfen und dabei durfte ich erfahren, dass alle mit denselben Problemen im Straßenverkehr zu kaempfen haben. Trauer kennt keine Hautfarbe.
Aber bei der Trauer darf es nicht bleiben. Ich habe mutige Menschen kennengelernt, die ihre Trauer überwunden haben und Initiativen für die Verkehrssicherheit gegründet haben. Eine Mutter aus Aegypten und ein Vater aus Luxemburg verloren ihre erwachsenen Kinder, ein Neffe aus England verlor seinen Lieblingsonkel. Alle Opfer starben durch das kriminelle Handeln von Autofahrern, die ihre Opfer bei Verkehrsunfällen toeteten. Diese Fahrer wollten es nicht, aber sie taten es, indem sie Regeln nicht beachteten, zu schnell oder betrunken fuhren. Diese mutigen Hinterbliebenen schoepften neue Lebenskraft, indem sie seither andere Autofahrer auf Risiken aufmerksam machen, indem sie vor moeglichen Fehlern warnen und vor allem vor deren Folgen. Das können nicht viele Hinterbliebene – andere leiden still ein Leben lang, weil nichts mehr so ist wie es vorher war und ein Teil ihres Herzens herausgerissen wurde.
Wir alle koennen unseren Beitrag dazu leisten, Verkehrsunfaelle zu verhindern und Unfallopfer zu vermeiden. Wir koennen menschliches Leid verhindern, das auch an jedem Tag uns selbst und unsere Familien treffen koennte. Den ersten Schritt können wir selbst gehen durch unsere bewusste Teilnahme am Straßenverkehr, durch das Einhalten der Regeln, durch ein Vorbild für andere, auch und gerade für unsere Kinder und Enkelkinder. Niemand muss beim Fahren whattsApp schreiben, keiner schneller als erlaubt fahren und auch die Flasche Bier direkt vor der Fahrt ist ein unnoetiges Risiko.
Ein Gedenktag kann auf diese Weise zu einer Gedaechtnisstuetze oder sogar zu einer neuen Aufgabe werden.
World Day of Remembrance #WDR2015
CEO RSA Ireland, Ms Moyagh Murdock, World Day 2015
On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we remember all of those who have lost their lives or have been injued in road collisions. Our deepest sympathies go out to all of the families who have lost loved ones or close friends in the recent past. Across Ireland today the Road Safety Authority will be joining with members of An Garda Síochána, Local County Councils, Emergency Services and victim support groups who are holding services to mark the day and remember those who have died.
Although we have made huge strides this year in reducing the number of fatalities on our roads, death and injury is an enormous cost to families and our society as a whole. There is still a lot of work to do and today reminds us that every life lost on Irish roads is one too many.
The theme for this year’s World Day of Remembrance is ‘It’s time to Remember – Say NO to Road Crime!’. This year we developed a new campaign targeting driver distraction, such as using a mobile phone behind the wheel and child distraction. We also developed our first mass media campaign on driver fatigue to show road users the consequences of driving while tired. More recently we have renewed our focus on drink driving which has left too many people bereft of loved ones. We will strive to eradicate this crime from our society and ensure that no Irish family will have to deal with the devastation of a collision caused by an intoxicated driver. We are confident with the strong commitment of staff, and collaboration with stakeholders, that we can bring about a change in attitudes and behaviour that will stop road fatalities and injuries here in this country.
To all of those who have organized services across Ireland today, we thank you for your continued support and commitment to road safety. We would like to wish you all a successful World Day of Remembrance.
Prof Herman de Croo, Minister of State, Belgium, and ETSC President, World Day 2015
“Today we remember those who have died and those who have been left behind as a consequence of road collisions. But we must never forget that for every person killed, ten more suffer life-changing injuries. We must ensure that decision makers in Europe and around the world act to reduce road injury as well as deaths. Action on setting targets and reducing speed, drink driving and distraction, as well as better enforcement of seat belt laws can all play a role in reducing the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.”
PRI President Joop Goos, World Day 2011
“…..This year’s World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims coincides with the launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011- 2020 and provides an opportunity for global action…..We do hope that collaboration between all stakeholders and partners will lead to better care and support for victims, to prevention of road crash victims and to an improvement of road safety globally, regionally, nationally and locally…..”
“…..Cette Journée Mondiale du Souvenir des Victimes de la Route coincide cette année avec le lancement de la Décennie d’action pour la Sécurité Routière 2011-2020 qui offre une opportunité à des actions d’ampleur Internationale…….Nous espérons que la collaboration entre tous les intervenants et les partenaires mènera à des meilleurs soins et soutien aux victimes, à la prévention des victimes des accidents de la route et à une amelioration de la sécurité routière au niveau mondial, régional, national et local…..”
ETSC’s (European Transport Safety Council) Ex. Director Antonio Avenoso, World Day 2011
“We call on the European Institutions to view the 2011 Day of Remembrance as an opportunity to take action to reduce the number of people killed and injured on the road. Today we remember all who suffered while exercising one of their rights, the right to mobility and travel. But we must not stop there; today we should also remember that many of the people killed on the roads could be with us today if only some simple, proven method to improve road safety had been implemented. We urge Europe to take the lead in promoting road safety world-wide and hope that the adoption of the Vision-Zero in the 2011 White Paper on Transport will mean that by 2050 there will be no more casualties to mourn on World Day”.
TISPOL President Roar Skjelbred Larsen on World Day 2010
“……TISPOL is fully committed to working with all European road safety stakeholders to achieve the 2020 target and our main priority is, and always will be, reducing the number of people being killed on Europe’s roads. We want to avoid other families having to experience the tragedy of losing a loved one through a road crash…..”
La Prévention Routière Internationale (PRI) President Joop Goos, World Day 2010
“On this World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims, we at La Prévention Routière Internationale PRI share a thought in commemoration of all the loved ones who passed away and to their families due to a road traffic crash during this current Year….. We make an appeal to all road users to show responsible and safe behaviour across the road. We invite other NGOs and institutions to join us in our efforts to contribute to this noble cause and to prevent road traffic victims in the future……” Links Pdf EN and Pdf FR
TISPOL President – Javier Sanchez Ferragut – for WDR 2009:
“TISPOL supports the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, as so many people have experienced the grief and pain of losing a loved one as the result of a road crash. In Europe last year, 39,000 families and friends suffered the loss of a loved one – a son, daughter, mother, father or friend. TISPOL is committed to doing everything possible to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on Europe’s roads. We want to avoid other families having to experience the tragedy of losing a loved one through a road crash. I call upon everyone to take a personal responsibility when using the road and to exercise care and to obey the traffic rules at all times. By doing so, we can all make Europe’s roads safer for everyone.”
Wolfgang Blindenbacher, President TISPOL, European Transport Police Network, World Day 2008
“Our main priority is to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on Europe’s roads because there is far too much suffering involved.”
Speaker – Frank Gear – at Humanist Ceremony on World Day 2007, UK.
“…..For those of us who do not have a religious faith, and who believe that death brings an end of individual existence, life’s significance lies in the experiences and satisfactions we achieve in that span of time; its permanence lies in the memories of those who knew us, and in any influence that we may have left behind.
Boris Pasternak put that concept far better than I can, when he wrote.
“It is always in some external, active manifestation of yourself that you come across your identity – in the work of your hands, in your family, in other people… this is what you are. This is what your consciousness has breathed and lived on, and enjoyed throughout your life.”
And now? What does it matter if later on it is called memory, this will be you – the real you – that enters the future and becomes part of it”.
It is in our memory that our loved ones remain with us for as long as we live. But it is not only those who have died on the road who we are remembering today it is also those who have suffered injuries, and not all injuries are physical injuries, mental injuries cause suffering as much as lost limbs or having been disabled in other ways……”
John Stewart, Transport Adviser to RoadPeace (UK), sets out a New Vision for Road Safety for World Day of Remembrance 2001
“Road Safety was one of the successes of Labour’s first term. During four years important new developments took place in road safety under the skilled stewardship of Lord Whitty. Most notably, a serious programme was put in place to tackle the problem of speed. But things moved forward on other fronts as well: local transport plans were required to put more emphasis on the needs of vulnerable road users; the first Home Zones were established; schemes were developed to allow the police to retain a proportion of fines from motoring offenders to help with better enforcement…..
……The Government also needs to promote a road safety policy that civilizes our cities, encourages children to play outside, enables older people to walk around their neighbourhoods and contributes to an all-round improvement in our quality of life…..
……. The prizes for success are substantial: fewer road casualties, the needs of road victims properly recognized in law and a better quality of life for people as they go about their daily business.”
