The Secretary-General: Message on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

For information only - not an official document

UNIS/SGSM/1544
14 November 2025

The Secretary-General

16 November 2025

On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we honour those who have lost their lives or livelihoods on the world's roads.

Every year, 1.2 million people are killed in road crashes, and another 50 million are left injured or disabled.

Nine out of 10 road-crash deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. A full third of victims are children and young people, making road accidents the leading cause of death in this age group.

But solutions exist, from improving infrastructure, legislation and awareness, to enforcing safety laws and sharing best practices across borders.

To date, the UN Road Safety Conventions, the Road Safety Fund, and the Special Envoy for Road Safety have helped 94 countries save lives on the road.

And this year, at the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, governments recommitted to cutting road deaths in half by 2030.

Let's save lives and prevent injuries. Together, we can turn remembrance into action - and help to ensure that every journey ends safely.

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