World Day of Rememrbance for Road Traffic Victims (WDOR) is an international day of observance that began 25 years ago to remember those killed and injured by traffic violence. Formally adopted by the United Nations in 2005, the day is also meant to thank emergency personnel and prompt communities around the world to grapple with the effects of these crashes and ways to stop them from happening.
To help mark the occasion, we have worked to highlight the stories of victims of traffic violence and their families over the past month.
One other task we’ve undertaken is asking communities across the metro and the region to adopt proclamations recognizing WDOR. The purpose is for leaders of these places to show solidarity with this occasion and to hopefully prompt the sort of conversations and actions necessary to prevent these crashes in the future. So far, we have seen a number of communities take steps to formally recognize World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, including:
States
– State of Missouri
– State of Kansas
Counties
– Jackson County, MO
– Johnson County, KS
– Wyandotte County/Kansas City, KS
Metro Communities
– Independence, MO
– Kansas City, MO
– Overland Park, KS
– Westwood, KS
Other Communities
– Jefferson City, MO
The official World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is not until November 15 this year, so there is still time for your community to adopt a proclamation as well. We have template proclamation language you can use if you live in Kansas or if you live in Missouri.
We also invite you to join us for a special virtual event on Thursday, November 12 at 12:00 PM CST. We will be hearing from Amy Cohen, the co-founder of Families for Safe Streets as she discusses the importance of this day and what we can do to honor the memory of those lost. You can register for the free event by clicking here.
While we endeavor to create a safer built environment for our most vulnerable road users, it is also important to remember those lost and affected by the crisis of traffic violence. WDOR allows us to do just that.