Karachi: The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, an international observance, brings to light the grim reality of road safety, or the lack thereof. The United Nations Secretary-General, in his message for this day, emphasized the dire statistics: annually, 1.35 million lives are lost, and an additional 50 million people suffer life-altering injuries due to road accidents. These numbers underscore the critical need for concerted global action to prevent these tragedies.

According to United Nations Secretary-General Message, The Secretary-General stressed that more efforts are needed to avert these preventable losses. The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety, now in its third year, has set an ambitious goal to reduce road deaths by half. This plan includes building capacities, expediting the implementation of UN road safety conventions, increasing awareness, and securing resources to enhance traffic safety.

Additionally, the UN has initiated the Global Campaign on Road Safety this year, which aims to encompass 1000 cities in 80 countries. The UN Road Safety Fund is also playing a pivotal role, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where approximately 90 percent of traffic-related fatalities occur.

The Secretary-General’s message was a clarion call for urgent action and increased support. He appealed to all donors to amplify their financial and technical contributions to this cause. On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, the United Nations urges a global effort to make roads safer for everyone, everywhere.