UN WORLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

FOR ROAD TRAFFIC VICTIMS

Candle Light Vigil

Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, New Delhi

18 November 2012 (Sunday) 5 PM

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

Candle Light Vigil at India Gate, New Delhi

More than hundred volunteers assembled at India Gate, New Delhi on November 18 carrying placards and banners to pay their tributes to Road traffic Victims and their families. The occasion was the Candle Light Vigil and Awareness March organized as part of the “UN World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims” by the Indian Centre for Alcohol Studies (INCAS) jointly with the Health Fitness Trust, National Council of YMCA’s of India, Indian Medical Association and Indian Alcohol Policy Alliance.

Former Asian Marathon Champion Smt. Sunita Godara (Director, Health Fitness Trust), Dr. S. Arulrhaj (Chairman, Commonwealth Health Professions Alliance), Mr. Johnson J. Edayaranmula (Executive Director, Indian Alcohol Policy Alliance) and Mr. Sunder Singh (National Council of YMCAS of India) were among those who led the Awareness March and Candle Light Ceremony.

Addressing the function Mr. Johnson J. Edayaranmula and Mrs. Sunita Godara reminded that ‘Road accidents are predictable and preventable’ and ‘road safety should be everyone’s responsibility’.

In October 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which calls for governments to mark the third Sunday in November each year as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. It is a day to remember those who died or were injured from road crashes and the plight of their loved ones who must cope with the consequences of their deaths or injuries.

Road traffic crashes kill nearly 1.3 million people every year and injure or disable as many as 50 million more. They are the leading cause of death globally for children and young people aged between 10 to 24 years, and the third leading cause of death globally among people aged between 30 to 44 years. Every six seconds someone is killed or injured on the world’s roads, including drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

In India, during 2011, a total of 4,97,686 road accidents were reported from all States/Union Territories (UTs). Of these, about 24.4 per cent (1,21,618) were fatal accidents. The number of persons killed in road accidents were 1,42,485, i.e. an average of one fatality per 3.5 accidents. The proportion of fatal accidents in total road accidents has consistently increased since 2002 from 18.1 per cent to 24.4 per cent in 2011. The severity of road accidents, measured in terms of persons killed per 100 accidents, has also increased from 20.8 in 2002 to 28.6 in 2011. Surveys across the nation have also revealed that around 40% of road accidents are attributed to drink driving. Road accidents are estimated around 3% of the GDP of India.

 For further information: Johnson@alcoholstudies.in

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