15 November is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. To mark the date, the Kazakh Scientific Research Institute for Road Safety LLP, together with KazAvtoZhol National Company JSC and with the participation of KazakhAvtoDor LLP, held an event dedicated to the Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The aim of the event was to draw public attention to road crashes and deaths on the roads. The event took place at km 251 of the Almaty-Oskemen road (at the exit from the settlement of 3 Otdeleniye), in the direction of Almaty.
According to the Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, published by the WHO in December 2018, around 1.35 million people die in road crashes every year. Such crashes are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5 to 29. Unfortunately, current trends are undermining progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.6, which provides for a 50% reduction in road traffic deaths by 2020. Over the past 10 years, 23,912 people have died in road crashes in our country, including 1,421 in 2020, 2,373 in 2019, 2,096 in 2018, 2,086 in 2017, 2,390 in 2016, 2,453 in 2015, 2,585 in 2014, 3,037 in 2013, 3,022 in 2012 and 2,449 in 2011. The Kazakh Scientific Research Institute for Road Safety aims to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads. We join in marking the Day of Remembrance and remember those who died before their time, and we remind all of us who have been spared this sad fate how important it is to follow the traffic rules, to have zero tolerance for violations, and to remember that as road users we are responsible not only for our own lives but also for the lives of others.
We declare the following: We remember and pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives on the roads; We recognise the critical work of road services and emergency rescue services; We believe it is necessary to draw attention to the ineffective legal response to road deaths and injuries; We call for more effective support for road crash victims and their families; We will promote the adoption of evidence-based measures to prevent and ultimately stop any further rise in deaths and injuries from road crashes.
