Hartford, CT, November 14, 2024 — On Sunday, November 17, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., families of traffic crash victims, road safety advocates, faith leaders, elected officials, and community members will gather at De Gale Field at Goffe Street Park in New Haven to commemorate the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims and advocate for change in Connecticut.
Family members will share their stories, followed by a roll call of pedestrians and bicyclists who have died on Connecticut roads. Community leaders, including Senator Richard Blumenthal, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, State Representative Roland Lemar, and CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, will join the event. A display of over 300 small flags will represent those lost since last year’s observance. Attendees are encouraged to carry photos of victims.
This event aligns with more than 70 communities nationwide recognizing the impact of traffic violence. In 2023, U.S. traffic crashes claimed 40,990 lives—almost equal to gun-related deaths—and resulted in more than 2.7 million emergency room visits. The U.S. has the highest traffic death rate among 29 high-income countries analyzed by the CDC.
In Connecticut, more than 310 people died in crashes in 2023, including at least 64 pedestrians and bicyclists. Preliminary results show that as of October 1, 2024, Connecticut has lost 230 lives to traffic crashes this year, with at least 52 of those being pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Traffic violence is preventable, and we are committed to raising awareness of this crisis. No one should die on our streets while walking, biking, or driving,” says Amy Watkins of Watch For Me CT. “We must overcome complacency about the tens of thousands of preventable deaths and advocate for safer road designs, lower speed limits, and higher vehicle safety standards.”
“Safety for all users of the road is a top priority for CRCOG and our Vision Zero Task Force. Our primary goal is to provide technical assistance to our member towns and to encourage them to adopt the Safe Systems Approach,” said Matt Hart, Executive Director at the Capitol Region Council of Governments. “We will continue to promote education, enforcement, and engineering as viable tools to improve safety. The Safe Systems approach applies to all municipalities, regardless of size or population density. I encourage all stakeholders, including the driving public, to embrace this comprehensive strategy to dramatically reduce traffic-related deaths and serious injuries on Connecticut’s roadways.”
MORE INFO: https://www.facebook.com/share/PzBfQzoFhzi1EnWM/ & wdor-usa.org (see for national happenings) #WDoR2024 #SafeStreetsForPeople
