Each year, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims honors those who have been killed and injured on roads around the globe -- 1.35 million people each year worldwide.
On November 21st, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is joining with crash victims, street safety organizations, community members, faith leaders, elected officials, and dignitaries from across the country and globe to REMEMBER, SUPPORT, and ACT.
We add our voice to the urgent call for change to address the heartbreaking cost of traffic crashes.
Traffic deaths are the leading cause of death of youth in the U.S. Seniors, people walking and biking, and communities of color and low-income communities are all
disproportionately harmed by traffic violence.
This year’s World Day of Remembrance takes on extra urgency as the number of people dying and severely injured in preventable traffic crashes in the U.S. is rising at an alarming rate. In 2020, 42,060 people died in motor vehicle crashes – an 8% increase over 2019, despite fewer people driving due to pandemic conditions. This equates to a 24% spike in the rate of traffic deaths, according to National Safety Council (NSC) estimates. Based on preliminary data reported by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, 238 people died in collisions last year.
Experts have demonstrated that this is a preventable crisis — Zero is Possible — the U.S. can and must do more to prevent deaths and severe injuries on our roadways. We can prioritize safety over speed. We can design roadways, sidewalks and bikeways and set policies that ensure safe mobility for all.
Los Angeles is known as the deadliest major city in the US for traffic crashes and is the hit and run capital of the US -- an average of 48% of all collisions in L.A. are a hit and run -- South L.A. is the epicenter of this public health crisis. In 2020, despite a sharp decrease in the number of cars on the road due to the pandemic, South L.A. saw a 23% increase in serious injuries and fatalities.
Join us for a march this Saturday to demand safer roads for those who suffer the most, in honor of World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Traffic Violence.
Saturday, November 20, 2021 from 9AM-11AM
Greater St. Augustine Baptist Church
8704 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90003
As communities across the country remember and honor the lives lost in preventable traffic crashes, we join in the call for President Biden to commit to a Zero Traffic Deaths policy and to prioritize safety in policy and funding decisions. We also support the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Resolution (S. Res. 321, H. Res. 565) calling for the first-ever national Zero Traffic Deaths goal. Get involved now in the campaign for a national goal and plan for Vision Zero.
Below you will find a map you can visit which includes cyclists we have lost this year due to traffic violence. We invite loved ones of these Angelenos, along with anyone with experiences of their own, to share stories riding through L.A.. It is imperative that we demand better street infrastructure and work toward a shift in policies and practices that help everyone feel safe to travel through the city without a car. Add your stories to the collective by using these hashtags, #WDoR2021 #ZeroTrafficDeaths online and tag @lacbc if you want us to share your story.
We would also like to highlight tools from UC Berkeley's SafeTREC (Safe Transportation Research and Education Center). Their tools include Street Story which which allows residents, community groups and agencies to collect information about transportation collisions, near-misses, general hazards and safe locations to travel.
You'll also find their Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) providing quick, easy and free access to California crash data that has been geo-coded to make it easy to map out crashes.
Additional Resources: