Remembering the victims of traffic crashes

ABU DHABI // Residents are being urged to join hands to remember and reflect on those needlessly killed or injured in road crashes on Sunday.

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is held on the third Sunday of November each year.

“Remembering the victims of traffic crashes comes easily enough to the relatives and friends of the estimated 1.3 million who lost their lives 2013 – 651 of whom died on UAE’s roads,” said Brendan Halleman, deputy project director at the International Road Federation.

“It is for the rest of us that the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was intended, to remind us of the suffering caused by countless individual tragedies, help us reflect on the societal burden their loss represents and examine ways to prevent what has become a global public health crisis. We owe this much to those whose lives were cut down too soon.”

UAE residents should commemorate this day because the problem is a global one, said Dr Salaheddine Bendak, a road safety specialist and associate professor of industrial engineering at the University of Sharjah.

“Some studies in the West have shown that continuously reminding people of the plight and miseries of those affected by traffic accidents leads to behavioural changes, and makes drivers and other road users more careful and adhere to traffic laws,” he said. “This day should serve as a reminder to all that having safer roads is everyone’s responsibility. To expect others to behave in a better way than yours on the road is a dream that will never come true. We need to start with ourselves.”

The UAE has set a goal of having zero deaths by 2020.

Last month Brig Hussain Al Harthi, head of the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate, said the decline in traffic-related deaths and injuries supported their vision which targets zero traffic fatalities in the emirate by 2030.

By the end of 2013, the directorate had achieved 29 per cent of the 2030 vision of zero deaths, when road deaths declined from 409 to 289, he said.

Despite an increase in the number of registered vehicles, road deaths in the capital fell by 17 per cent over the past nine months.

There have been 189 deaths since January, compared with 229 over the same period last year.

“A lot still needs to be done to further improve road safety in the UAE,” said Thomas Edelmann, founder of Road Safety UAE.

Road Safety UAE is inviting all families who have lost a loved one to come forward and share their stories and advice, and post them on the portal.

Triathlete Roy Nasr was hit while on a training ride with friends near Dubai's Safa Park in September last year, and Mehdi Karasane died in hospital 11 days after being knocked down on the road between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in November last year.

“They witnessed the pain and grief first-hand and can share their experiences and their views with all their contacts,” Mr Edelmann said. “We need to change the driving culture on UAE’s roads, and these witness reports can help improve the situation by sharing their touching stories.”

rruiz@thenational.ae