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 16th, Bend Bikes will join with crash victims, street safety organizations, community members and elected officials 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.
Join Bend Bikes in memorializing World Remembrance Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the Peace Corner (intersection of Wall and Greenwood). After hearing remarks from city leaders, we will organize a short bike ride in memory of those who lost their lives in crashes.
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 dramatically higher than it was in pre-pandemic years. According to National Safety Council estimates more that 44,000 people died in traffic crashes in the U.S.
“I can only speak as a mother who lost her son in a horrific way on a Brooklyn street. It’s hard losing a loved one — particularly in a sudden, violent, traumatic way,” said Annie Goldner, who lives in Bend. “World Day of Remembrance helps the families of victims carry on the meaning of our loved one’s life by remembering the cause of the crash and doing whatever we can to prevent future losses and pain to other families.”
Annie lost her son, Adam Uster, two years ago when Adam, an avid cyclist and advocate for safe streets.
Sarah Witt, also of Bend, lost her brother in a crash this summer in New York’s Chinatown. “This will be my first World Day of Remembrance since my brother Kevin Cruickshank died. I want to work on bringing attention to his death and all traffic deaths,” Sarah said. “I want to be part of the solution to make roads safer for cyclists. That was one of Kevin’s greatest causes.”
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 design roadways, sidewalks and bikeways and set policies that ensure that everyone can get to their destination safely.
We have the tools and know-how to prevent most traffic deaths and severe injuries. We see safety improve in communities across the country and countries around the world where they lower speeds, add traffic calming measures, and use technology to prioritize safety over speed.
“In the past few years, we have made progress in creating safer streets in Bend, but there is a lot of work still to be done,” said Bend Bikes President Elisa Cheng. “Bend benefits when more of its citizens bike, walk and roll. We achieve that goal by creating safer options for them to get around.”
Now is the time to act because the U.S. is an outlier. According to a report on traffic crashes from the Center for Disease Control, the United States is one of the most dangerous industrialized nations in terms of traffic violence and it is only getting more dangerous.
On this World Day of Remembrance, we grieve and remember those killed and injured in crashes, and we call for leaders to step up to make the changes we know can prevent such tragedies in the future. Learn more about U.S. efforts and how you can support them.
#WDoR2025
#SafeSpeedsSaveLives