Due to 20^th November being a national holiday, ceremonies are organized by NGOs in the week before and after World Day:

On 12^th November a ‘Paint for Life’ event in Mexico City; on 18^thNovember road safety workshops in a high school in Cuernavaca City; on 19^th November a Remembrance ceremony for families and friends of victims in León City, on 20^th November a night-walk, followed by a minute of silence at Motul, Yucatán and on 27^thNovember, in Mexico City a large gathering, at which road user groups and victim families will issue urgent calls to government for more effective road safety policies as part of the objectives of the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Some more details about these events:

On 12^th November, in a Mexico City high income suburb, with high accident rate on youth, a local NGO (Familias Unidas de Zona Esmeralda) invited some artists to “Paint for Life” and around 50 people joined the painting. There was soft music and meditation just before the painting, and children and young people from schools giving brochures and flyers about prevention. At the end about hundred balloons were released.

On 18^th November, a social group from the National Institute of Public Health in Cuernavaca City chose a high school to give talks on prevention to students and their parents. The speakers were racing drivers and road safety specialists for youth. There were also some D&D workshops.

On Saturday 19^th November, a traffic victim NGO from León City is calling people to attend a ceremony at 5 PM asking them to carry a white flower, a candle or a picture of a victim. At the end some speeches will be said to remember the deaths.

On Sunday 20^th at Motul, Yucatán, a group of people is doing a night walk to downtown plaza. A minute of silence will be held and there will be some road safety messages.

On Sunday 27^th in Mexico City, several NGOs, companies and Government Departments will join in a meeting, while cyclist and motor biker groups will cross the city. Recent traffic victim families will call for better public transport and several will speak about their tragedies. A crashed car will hold the candles that people will bring there. The meeting will end with a strong call to federal and local governments to strengthen their road safety policies, according with the aims of the Global Plan of the Decade of Action.

Paco de Anda Orellana, Executive Director,www.seguridadvialmexico.org