World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDoR) is a worldwide event, now in its 30th year, that honors and acknowledges the many people killed by cars.
Last year, Connecticut saw 367 victims, 90 of them pedestrians and cyclists. This year, the pace of fatalities continues. Connecticut will hold its first statewide event in Bushnell Park in Hartford on November 19.
The goals of WDoR are to provide a platform for road traffic victims and their families to:
- Remember all the people killed and seriously injured on the roads
- Acknowledge the crucial work of the emergency services
- Advocate for better support for road traffic victims and victim families
- Promote evidence-based actions to prevent further road traffic deaths and injuries
On November 19 between 1-3 p.m., family members of victims will speak, there will be a roll call of those pedestrians and cyclists who have died, prayers given by a faith leader, and some words from legislators. A sea of over 600 small white flags will represent those who have been killed on our Connecticut roads in 2022 and 2023. Anyone who has lost a loved one due to a vehicle crash is invited to attend, as well as survivors and others who care about this issue.
This event is made possible by a generous donation from Trantolo & Trantolo. Additional sponsors and supporters: Watch for Me CT, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Connecticut Children’s Foundation, the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), and the Connecticut Urbanists.
Note: Thank you to Terri Thompson for this blog post.
