Subject
title
Proclamation Declaring November 17, 2024, as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
end
Department
City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council read and approve the proclamation and present it to Chair Kathleen Kleinmann, and members of the Rockville Transportation and Mobility Commission.
Discussion
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims started in the UK in 1993 by Brigitte Chaudhry, founder of national charity for road crash victims named RoadPeace. By 1998, many other countries added their support including Argentina, Australia, Israel, South Africa, and Trinidad. In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly invited all nations for observance of the day and support around the world has continued to grow.
This day of remembrance has had much success in global efforts to reduce road casualties by following a set of objectives. The goal is providing a platform for road traffic victims and their families to remember people killed and seriously injured on the roads, acknowledge the crucial work of the emergency support and rescue services, draw attention to the generally trivial legal response to culpable road deaths and injuries, advocate for better support for road traffic victims and their families, and to promote evidence-based actions to prevent and eventually stop further road traffic deaths and injuries.
In September 2020, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution improving global road safety and proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, which has the target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by the year 2030. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Regional Commissions, as well as other partners in the United Nations Safety Collaboration, have developed a Global Plan for this Decade of Action.
Here in the City of Rockville, we encourage everyone to take part in the observance of World Day of Remembrance by keeping the victims of road traffic accidents and to do their part by practicing safe driving and following traffic laws whether you’re a driver or a pedestrian crossing the street.
Mayor and Council History
This is the first time Mayor and Council have presented this proclamation.