November 18th was the 25th anniversary of the World Day of Remembrance for road crash victims. Over twenty services were held up and down the country to commemorate lives lost and broken on the roads.

The day was originated in 1993 by RoadPeace, the UK charity for road traffic victims, as a response to road crash victims’ need for the same public recognition that is given to victims of other types of crime, disaster or war.

It is also a day to commend the work of those involved in the aftermath of a crash –including fire, police and ambulance teams, doctors, nurses and counsellors.

Five people are killed on average every day in Britain, and the services provide an opportunity to reflect on the devastating impact of road danger.

Below are a few pictures from the London, Liverpool and Northampton services.

At the heart of all the services were the victims. Pauline Fielding, RoadPeace Trustee, organised the Liverpool service and explains the importance of an act of remembrance:

And Esther van Egmond, whose father was killed this year in a crash and spoke at the London service, wrote an article for the Metro based on her World Day of Remembrance address. Her article can be read here

World Day of Remembrance services are not just attended by victims, but decision and policy makers as well. MP Preet Kaur Gill who attended the Birmingham remembrance service cited RoadPeace member Lucy Harrison’s story in parliament last week.

It goes to show that these events affect not just those who have been directly affected by road danger, but also those who have the power to address it.

Thank you to all that attended the services and helped to organise them.

Updated on: 29 November 2018