Themes, messages and ideas to help you plan your event
The goal behind this year’s National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims is to raise awareness of the number of people who have been affected by the consequences of road collisions: those who have been injured, those who have died, as well as their families and friends.
Key Messages
- Each year in Canada, almost 2,800 people are killed in road crashes and another 195,000 are injured.
- Alcohol, drugs, speeding, driver distraction, fatigue and failure to buckle up are key contributing factors of collision
- Road safety is a shared responsibility and each of us can take action to make our roads safer,
- Road crash victims also include families, friends and colleagues – since they have to live with the loss or suffering of their loved ones forever
- Road Safety Vision 2010 is Canada’s plan to improve safety on our roads
Headlines, Taglines & Statistics
- Nearly 2,800 people are killed every year on Canada’s roads
- Nearly 195,000 people are injured every year on Canada’s roads –often seriously
- Remember: 1 person dies every 3 hours on our Canadian roads
- That’s over 200 people – every month – killed
- That’s 49 people a week – killed
- Or seven people killed – every single day
- Rethink the way you drive
- The yearly number of deaths is like 30 busloads of people dying
Ideas for your event
(source:
United Nations’ guidebook - Only available in English)
- Memorials
- unveiling a monument or statue
- planting a tree in a memorial garden
- laying flowers or wreaths and placing other commemorative objects at a memorial
- exhibiting photographs at memorials
- inviting entries to Internet-based memorials
- Moments of silence and sounds
- observing a moment of silence
- ringing of bells can be used in religious settings
- Exhibitions and displays
- displaying of names of victims on boards
- presenting statistics on the number of road traffic deaths
- displaying images and objects (clothes, shoes) of road victims
- displaying overhead electronic motorway traffic signs
- mounting silhouettes
- presenting exhibitions of paintings by children
- holding exhibitions of photographs of bereaved and injured, and of road crash scenes
- Religious or humanist services
- statements of emotional support and advocacy
- reading scriptures
- reading out the names and ages of victims, written down by the bereaved and injured
- leading prayers for those killed and their bereaved families
- reading of poems
- holding a candle-light vigil for victims
- featuring and promoting the day in denominational newsletters that are distributed to congregations
- conducting sermons that address the issue of road deaths and injuries, and that promote the day, during the week leading up to the actual day
- Dissemination of information
- issuing press releases
- distributing transcripts of testimonies by victims
- showing road safety documentaries and films
- distributing calendars, with road safety messages
- radio or television talk-shows
- distributing learning packs for children
- Competitions
- poster or essay competitions for school children and young people