U.S. Communities Rally for Road Safety: World Day of Remembrance 2024

From Milwaukee to Memphis, Las Cruces to Las Vegas, and Wichita to Washington, DC, elected leaders, advocates and people who have lost loved ones in traffic crashes joined forces to urge action to address the nation’s historic – and preventable – roadway safety crisis.

On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDoR) – November 17, 2024 – more than 70 communities in 29 states and Washington DC organized rallies, memorial walks and bike rides, candlelight vigils, visual installations with shoes and flags to represent those killed in traffic crashes and called on leaders across all levels of government to implement life-saving safety measures. Mayors and other local and state elected leaders participated in many of the events, accompanied by people whose children, parents or friends had been killed or severely injured in crashes that could and should be prevented in the future.

National Road to Safety Call to Action Issued to Elected Leaders

In Washington, DC, over a thousand people participated in the Ride for Your Life 2024 event, organized to memorialize Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, a mother and U.S. diplomat hit and killed while biking in 2022 in Bethesda, Maryland. Sarah had been recently evacuated from a war zone in Ukraine to ensure her safety, but faced a tragic death on U.S. roads. Her husband, Dan Langenkamp, was joined by national and local leaders, advocates and community members.

At the WDoR event, Langenkamp shared an Open Letter from national organizations calling on the Incoming Trump Administration along with federal, state and local transportation officials to address America’s roadway safety crisis. Issued by a coalition of safety groups, including Families for Safe Streets, Vision Zero Network and It Could Be Me, among others, the letter cites the dire situation of more than 40,000 people killed in crashes and millions more injured each year, and an alarming economic toll of $465 billion in costs and $1.4 trillion in quality-of-life costs due to traffic injuries and deaths. In the letter, the groups urge the incoming Administration, Congress and elected officials at every level of government to “honor these victims – and commit to delivering cost-effective, safe transportation choices to the American people.”

Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Jennifer Homendy, participated in the D.C. event, which also included a walk and rally. At the rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, she shared: “We’ve provided a literal roadmap to reverse the public health crisis on our nation’s roads. If implemented, NTSB safety recommendations will save lives.” These recommendations include developing performance test criteria for vehicle designs that reduce injuries for pedestrians, requiring alcohol interlock systems, implementing intelligent speed assistance (ISA) technology in all new vehicles, among others.

Local Actions Reflect Hope for Change

Organizers and participants at WDoR events across the nation echoed a common theme of strong community support for improving safety on their streets. Many are hopeful after receiving funding from a new federal grants program, Safe Streets & Road for All, which provides dedicating funding to regional, local, and Tribal governments to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries, announced 710 winners on November 15, 2024.

“There is clear momentum for commitments and action for safe streets in communities across the nation,” said Leah Shahum, Executive Director of Vision Zero Network, a national nonprofit working to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries. “At a time when the nation seems so divided, improving safety on the roads is a place where people are uniting for change.”

Some notable WDoR events include the following:

Jacksonville, Florida held its first ever WDoR event where families of victims, safety advocates, transportation officials, and local electeds gathered to honor those lost to traffic violence. The event is particularly poignant as the city grapples with 120 deaths in 2024 alone and over 500 deaths between 2021 and 2023. This is underscored by the city’s ranking as the 15th most dangerous metropolitan area in Smart Growth America’s Dangerous by Design.

Mayor Donna Deegan showed strong support. "The loss of your loved ones is made even more tragic by the fact that most roadway injuries and deaths are preventable.” She underscored that “roadway safety requires us to be proactive” and commits to spearheading necessary changes stating that the city is “currently developing Jacksonville’s first Vision Zero Action Plan designed to eliminate all traffic fatalities and reduce serious injuries in half by 2035.”

Jacksonville has recently received $1.7 million in Safe Streets & Roads for All federal funding to develop its local road safety plan and implement quick build projects, including a 2-way bicycle track, protected bike lanes, roundabouts and lane repurposing. Advocates, including the Jacksonville Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), called on city leaders to officially commit to a Vision Zero goal and to prioritize road safety measures in school areas. The WDoR event was particularly poignant, as several school children have recently been hit and killed. We commend Jacksonville for exploring – and we hope implementing! – 20 is Plenty plan to lower speed limits in residential areas.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, advocates hosted a remembrance event featuring a walk to a recent crash site, a candlelight vigil, and a sidewalk chalk memorial. They called for updates and transparency regarding the city’s Vision Zero commitment, following a $2.9 million SS4A grant that Salt Lake City received to support safety improvements along a 6.4-mile arterial roadway.

In Knoxville, Tennessee, advocates gathered for a powerful ceremony to honor victims of traffic violence and called for quick-build projects to create safe crossings and implement neighborhood traffic calming measures specifically designed to protect vulnerable road users. Their advocacy aligns with the City of Knoxville’s SS4A grant, which will fund critical safety countermeasures like a shared-use path, pedestrian refuge islands, on-street bike lanes, and a road diet. It will also include supplemental planning efforts, such as a Speed Management Plan.

In Indianapolis, Indiana, Bike Indianapolis organizers held a vigil to remember the victims of traffic violence and advocated for safe streets and infrastructure, urging city leaders to budget $8 million for quick-build road safety measures such as traffic calming, corner bulb-outs and improved crosswalks.

In Wichita, Kansas, Bike Walk Wichita hosted a walk and bike ride to honor those killed while walking and biking. Advocates called on city leaders to prioritize infrastructure improvements, including protected bike lanes, pedestrian crossings, and lower speed limits, to prevent future tragedies and create safer streets for all. “Our advocacy isn’t just about statistics; it’s about building a community where everyone – whether they’re walking, biking, or driving – can travel without fear,” said Holly Terrill, Executive Director of Bike Walk Wichita, urging people to express support for these critical safety measures.

More Communities Organized World Day of Remembrance Actions

In Albany, New York, community members gathered at City Hall to honor victims of traffic violence and urged leaders to transform a major corridor with traffic calming measures to improve safety. They also pressed Albany leaders to develop a bicycle and pedestrian Action Plan and enact a countywide 4-foot passing law that would help protect vulnerable road users.

In San Diego, California, advocates prioritized kids’ safety by targeting school routes. They demanded that the city take action to fix the year’s 15 most dangerous intersections, lower speed limits in school zones citywide, and implement safety countermeasures along six Critical Corridors – high-risk pedestrian routes that overlap with routes to school. Laura Keenan, (pictured below) whose husband Matt was hit and killed in San Diego in 2021, organized a chapter of Families for Safe Streets in her community and hosted the event in San Diego.

In Las Vegas, Nevada, advocates gathered for a Rally to Remember, featuring a walk, run, bike and motorcycle rally. Organizers lifted up legislative efforts to extend school speed zones to a quarter-mile around every school and urged participants to support speed safety cameras.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, advocates and families gathered in Carroll Park to memorialize those killed in crashes and raise awareness to the lack of enforcement or reponse to hit and runs. Together, they called on local electeds to pass legislation that would alert and notify autobody shops after a serious or fatal hit and run crash.

Councilmember Jaimie Gauthier of Philadelphia's 3rd District shared her commitment to taking action to end traffic violence: “Traffic violence is real violence, and it is preventable. We lost 116 of our neighbors to traffic violence this year, and we had almost three times as many fatal hits and runs as compared to 2019.” 

She described traffic violence as “a racial justice issue too: it is no accident that Black and Brown communities have a disproportionate share of unsafe streets, and a disproportionate share of traffic fatalities and injuries.” Gauthier committed to keep road safety as a priority by working to implement more road diets on major thoroughfares and cutting red tape to facilitate more traffic calming measures, such as speed humps, near schools and other places with lots of youth and family activities.

In Denver, Colorado, a free concert with a light installation symbolized the 720 lives lost on Colorado roads this year. Community speakers and artists called for the passage of a statewide Vulnerable Road User bill, which would enable local jurisdictions to impose fees on heavier vehicles to fund road safety initiatives.

In Portland, Oregon, community members, families who lost loved ones, transportation staff, and more came together for a vigil to honor those who have lost their lives to road traffic. The event included a powerful call to action, urging legislators to prioritize safety in Oregon’s 2025 Transportation Package to prevent future tragedies and create safer streets for all.

In New Haven, Connecticut, family members, advocates and elected leaders gathered amid 300 white flags representing lives lost on Connecticut roads this year. The event organizers called for enhanced pedestrian crossings and citywide implementation of Leading Pedestrian Intervals that give people adequate time to cross streets safely. Longtime road safety champion Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal spoke about the importance of the Safe Streets and Roads For All federal grant program, which directs a billion dollars per year to local, tribal and regional road safety efforts.

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, advocates brought attention to the deadly consequences of speeding by sharing their personal stories at City Hall. Three families who lost loved ones to traffic violence came together to support one another and called for action to prevent future tragedies by cultivating safe streets in their community.

In Flushing, New York, more than 75 people gathered at the site where 3-year-old Allison Liao was hit and killed in 2013. Families for Safe Streets NYC and other community members called on New York State leaders to pass legislation that would require speed limiters in the vehicles of repeat speed offenders (read more about Intelligent Speed Assistance).

In Omaha, Nebraska, local leaders and the National Safety Council Nebraska chapter gathered to honor those who had been killed in crashes with 221 candles – 41 of them in Omaha. They also highlighted the city’s plan to implement solutions outlined in Omaha’s Vision Zero plan.

Mayor Jean Stothert reiterated her commitment to eliminating traffic deaths stating, “This is something that’s very important and a priority to me.”She was adamant that she’d like to see more roundabouts throughout the city. “The ones that we have put in have proven to slow down traffic and be very effective.”

In Madison, Wisconsin, city leaders marked World Day of Remembrance with a week-long installation honoring community members who lost their lives in traffic crashes, opening with a memorial event and press conference by Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, who has personally experienced the tragedy of losing loved ones in a traffic crash. “Madison streets need to be safe for everyone. It’s not only the right thing to do, it’s essential to build an inclusive community,” said Mayor Rhodes-Conway. “Today, we honor lives lost and recognize the work still ahead to achieve zero traffic deaths.” The event also aimed to garner public support for the '20 is Plenty' campaign to lower speed limits and improve safety on local streets.

In San Francisco, California, safety advocates, elected leaders and families impacted by traffic violence gathered for their 10th annual World Day of Remembrance event. They laid out a pair of white shoes to honor each of the 317 people who have been killed in traffic crashes in the past decade. “We show up year after year because we have to. With our collective grief and anger – and our cry for change,” said Jodie Medeiros, Executive Director of Walk SF.

Jenny Yu, a founding member of SF Bay Area Families for Safe Streets whose Mom Judy was hit by a speeding driver in an SUV and suffered severe brain injuries after, reflected: “In these 10 years, Families for Safe Streets has been part of winning campaigns for state speed cameras, Complete Streets, and lower speed limits laws. We've shown up for and supported victims, and we've kept the pressure on the essential goal of Vision Zero. Telling our stories again and again – at City Hall and in [the state capitol] Sacramento and to the media – is not easy. But we need decisionmakers to see the human lives behind their decisions."

More WDoR Images & Inspiration

“This isn’t just about people on foot and on bike, but about the need for everyone to feel safe on our public ways. This annual event is a reminder of the personal toll of those we’ve lost to traffic violence, and a resolve to push ahead with regulations and policies that will help save lives on our roads,” says Galen Mook, of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. “We are in a traffic safety crisis, and as a society, we need to collectively realize that we have the capacity, tools, and ambition to reverse these dangerous trends and make a safer world for everyone.”

WDoR Highlights the Personal Impacts of Traffic Violence

The day of and in the days leading up to World Day of Remembrance, many loved ones shared their stories. We encourage you to hear directly from those closest to this issue, including those who have been personally impacted by traffic violence. Here are some perspectives from across the nation:

"We are near 40-year highs of the deaths of people biking and people walking in America. And I think everybody can agree that that’s just too much," said Dan Langenkamp, whose wife, Sarah, was killed after being hit by a truck while riding her bike in Bethesda, Maryland. Dan goes on to say that “We have a real national roadway crisis, with more than 40,000 people dying every year on the roads. That is almost as many people who die in gun violence.”

“Traffic deaths show up as a statistic, but each number is a person—a family member, a friend,” said Eric Olson, President of the Sidney Mae Olson Rainbow Fund, whose daughter was killed in a crosswalk in Andover, MA in 2023. “My daughter Sidney loved to laugh, and her absence is a crater in our community. But we have solutions, and we’re hopeful Massachusetts will lead the way in making streets safe for all.”

Teri Vogel from Parker, CO shared her story. “My advocacy began five years ago when my husband, Chuck left for a typical early morning bicycle ride and never made it home. He was struck from behind by a hit and run driver. He died the following day. Early on, my family and I made a commitment to see a greater good come from Chuck’s senseless and preventable death. That was the impetus for the advocacy work I do,” says Teri. “Chuck’s death, one documented fatality, is so much more than a statistic on a highway transportation report. Each statistic whether a fatality or serious injury is also a story and a family member.”

The National Safety Council released a powerful video amplifying victims' voices and advocacy stories.

“My lifelong friend, Minh-thi, was killed,” says Alexa Gomberg who participated in a Ride For Your Life 2024 in Cambridge, MA to honor her friend who was killed 150 days prior. “A truck hit her as she was just trying to bike to work, like we all do everyday.” She goes to emphasize what needs to be done next. “We shouldn’t be looking retroactively after an accident has happened. We should be thinking proactively about what we can do to fix our streets now.”

Emily Stein’s father was killed by a driver in Acton, MA 13 years ago. “Hopefully everybody will come away from here and talk with their legislator….say that they want red light cameras, that they want speed limits to be lower, that they want speed bumps in their city. Because that’s what will slow cars down,” says Emily, who now is the Executive Director of Safe Roads Alliance and a passionate safety advocate.

Other Agencies Across the US Made Space to Honor the Lives Lost due to Traffic Violence

Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), at Ride For Your Life 2024.

The Kansas Department of Transportation’s Drive To Zero Coalition recognized the 387 lives lost to traffic crashes in 2023.

Space Coast TPO (FL) launched a webpage honoring those lost in Brevard County traffic crashes, amplifying their stories to underscore the urgent need to end roadway tragedies.

The City of Burlington in North Carolina issued a formal proclamation of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

Harris County Commissioner in Houston, Rodney Ellis, issued a statement of support on the day

On World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we honor those lost or injured in traffic accidents.

In Harris County, we're committed to safer infrastructure to prevent future tragedies.

With our Vision Zero Action Plan, we aim to eliminate fatalities & injuries by 2030. pic.twitter.com/lkquo9Hxrh

— Rodney Ellis (@RodneyEllis) November 17, 2024

On #WDoR2024 we remember those lost and those affected by road traffic accidents. Let’s honor their memory with action today and recommit to advancing smart road safety policies. pic.twitter.com/1zuduWi9Lr

— Rep. Mike Thompson (@RepThompson) November 17, 2024

Other organizations shared support via social media:

Today is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Let’s honor victims by advocating for change. We need #SafeStreetsForPeople. Build safe streets, transit lanes, sidewalks, & bike networks. Reform vehicle safety standards. Reduce speed limits. #WDoR2024 pic.twitter.com/oHhpp2vpIu

— NACTO (@NACTO) November 17, 2024

We’re joining @WDRemembrance today to remember all those killed and seriously injured on our Nation’s roads. ️ Remember. Support. Act. #WDoR2024 pic.twitter.com/ZvHdFJ2wIt

— nhtsagov (@NHTSAgov) November 17, 2024

More than 4 million people have died on U.S. roadways over the last 125 years. This #WDoR2024, we memorialize those killed by traffic violence and renew our commitment to ending these preventable tragedies forever. @WDRemembrance @jraindc @njsafe @AdamKSnider @kchausmer pic.twitter.com/J4YXzgjWgV

— GHSA (@GHSAHQ) November 17, 2024

On this #WorldDayofRemembrance, we honor those lost to traffic collisions. Traffic deaths are preventable—slow down, stay alert, and look out for each other. Let's work together for safer streets. #VisionZero #LADOT #SafeStreets pic.twitter.com/bTGynHlAEm

— LADOT (@LADOTofficial) November 17, 2024

On World Day of Remembrance – Nov. 17 – we Remember, Support & Act to save lives. Other nations are making streets safer – why aren’t we? We must do the same – no more delays. #WDoR2024 #TrafficViolenceIsPreventable https://t.co/excKGqo2e8 pic.twitter.com/aqCROx5oHQ

— APHA Environmental Health (@EH_4_ALL) November 17, 2024

We invite you to watch this slideshow, which captures the moments from this year’s events across the U.S. and serves as a powerful tribute to the loved ones we remember.

WDoR is Over. Now What?

• Reconvene your WDoR event participants and supporters to both acknowledge your accomplishments so far and strategize what’s next. Building on your WDoR activity can spur a stronger Vision Zero movement!

• Request a meeting (or walk or bike ride) with local elected leaders and other influencers, such as key agency leaders, to make sure they’re aware of the roadway safety problems – and solutions! –in your community. You can build off World Day of Remembrance messaging & data to help build your case (templates for outreach here).
• Contact reporters and editors at your local newspapers and media stations to help make them aware of your community’s Vision Zero needs (see above). And help educate them on why words matter — because “accidents” imply inevitability, but “crashes” can be prevented. 
• Find out if your community has applied for Safe Streets & Roads for All funds, a grant program by the U.S. Department of Transportation supporting Vision Zero work at the local, regional and tribal levels. If not, contact your local electeds and encourage them to do so!
• Add your story and/or others to the FSS’ community map which highlights incidents of traffic violence that have occurred across the nation - putting faces to these statistics. 
• Stay up to date on Vision Zero work happening across the country by subscribing to our monthly Vision Zero e-news.
• Learn about and support the work of our partner organizations: Families for Safe Streets, It Could Be Me & Road to Zero Coalition.
• Mark your calendar for the next World Day of Remembrance – November 16, 2025 – and build on the momentum from this year’s event. Stay tuned for future WDoR events & updates. 

Most importantly, find ways to stay persistent until leaders take action to address unsafe streets and policies in your community. We have the tools to prevent traffic violence. 

Many thanks to all who took steps to Remember, Support & Act in organizing for World Day of Remembrance. We are encouraged and inspired by your commitment to safe, healthy, & equitable mobility for all.