The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims takes place on the third Sunday of November every year, as initiated by the United Nations to remember the millions of people killed on the roads and to promote public awareness of road safety.
In Thailand this year, road accidents have injured 792,716 people and caused 14,417 deaths, according to Thailand’s Road Accident Victims Protection Company Limited. More than 15,000 familites have lost loved ones, and the injured have lost income opportunities during their period of treatment and recovery. Many of them have not been able to return to normal life.
Provinces around Thailand have held activities to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Senator Surachai Liengboonlertchai, as president of the Networks of Road Safety Legislators in ASEAN member states and WHO south-eastern Asia region, led a flower-laying ceremony to remember the road accident victims and to remind the public of the importance of road safety as well as to promote traffic accident reduction and prevention. The activity took place in front of United Nations Thailand, Ratchadamnoen Nok Road, Bangkok.
Meanwhile, many provinces organized a “Run for Road Traffic Victims” to commemorate the loss. Deputy Prime Minister/Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul attended the running event at Bang Kachao Park in Samut Prakan. He revealed that the ministry has set a target to halve the number of deaths from road traffic accidents in Thailand by 2020. He added that to solve this chronic problem, drivers have to be more aware and strictly obey the traffic rules in order to keep every person on the roads safe.
