North Dakotans Invited to Remember Lives Lost in Traffic Crashes

Behind every traffic death is a person whose loss continues to be felt by family, friends and a community. North Dakotans are invited to honor those lives during the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Friday, Nov. 13, at the North Dakota State Capitol.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation Highway Safety Division, through Vision Zero, will host the annual observance in Memorial Hall. Attendees are invited to arrive beginning at 11:30 a.m. to view memorial displays and gather with families and others before the program begins at noon.

This year's program will place a special emphasis on remembering who traffic victims were and the lives they lived. Bailey Bernstein's family will share Bailey's story and how her legacy continues through the Bailey Bernstein Foundation. The program will also include remarks from the North Dakota Department of Transportation, an invocation and a moment of silence for lives lost on North Dakota roads.

Families and friends are invited to bring a photo, pair of shoes or another meaningful item representing their loved one to place in a temporary memorial during the ceremony. Flowers will be provided by Concrete Daisiez.

New this year, families may also complete a Memory Card to share a memory or something meaningful about the person they are remembering. Families may take their cards home or entrust them to Vision Zero to be displayed at future World Day of Remembrance events, allowing their loved ones to continue to be represented even when family members are unable to attend.

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is observed internationally on the third Sunday of November. This year's international observance is Sunday, Nov. 15. The day honors those who have lost their lives or been seriously injured in traffic crashes and recognizes the lasting impacts on families, friends and communities.

The Nov. 13 event is free and open to the public. Those who have lost a loved one, traffic crash survivors and anyone who would like to show support for affected families are encouraged to attend.

Learn more about the World Day of Remembrance event at VisionZero.ND.gov.