Family members and crash survivors honor their experiences with traffic violence and urge the District’s rapid implementation of life-saving traffic laws
Families of traffic crash victims, road safety advocates, and community members commemorate World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims with signs honoring loved ones who were killed or seriously injured due to traffic crashes. Members of the District of Columbia chapter of Families for Safe Streets installed signs at over 30 crash sites across all eight Wards memorializing 2022 fatal crash sites and others, as requested.
View the entire photo album on Flickr.
Traffic violence is a preventable public health crisis. World Day of Remembrance is an international event, started in 2005, honoring the 1.35 million people killed and millions more injured on the world’s roads each year and organizing for change to prevent such tragedies.
2022 World Day of Remembrance in DC
This World Day of Remembrance, we’re calling for urgent change. 40 people were killed and over 5,600 people were injured in traffic crashes in 2021 on DC’s streets—the highest in nearly 15 years. Traffic violence has killed at least 26 and injured over 3,200 loved ones so far in 2022.
It doesn’t have to be like this. We can design and use streets to protect everyone.
Take action!
DC Councilmembers have already passed new laws we need to make our streets safer. The only way to enjoy the life-saving benefits of these laws is for the District to fully fund them and carry out the work to fully implement them.
DC’s recent safe streets laws include:
- Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus Amendment Act (passed 2020):
- Lowered speed limits to 20 mph throughout DC and 15 mph in school zones (done!)
- Will improve continuous sidewalk networks
- Requires DDOT report progress on the District’s top 15 most dangerous corridors for pedestrians and cyclists
- Safer Streets Amendment Act (passed 2022):
- Prohibit drivers from turning right at red lights by default across the city (Jan. 2025)
- Make continuous sidewalks, raised crosswalks, and raised intersections as the standard for construction
- Upgrade materials used to permanently slow down cars and create bike lanes
- Allow people riding bikes and scooters to treat a stop sign as a yield sign.
- Safe Streets for Students Amendment Act (passed 2022):
- Establish an Office of Safe Passage reporting directly to the Mayor
- Require plans for infrastructure upgrades to promote school commute safety
- Increase the size of school zones—the areas where DDOT implements school safety infrastructure
- Require DDOT to recommend to the Council how to create full-time crossing guard jobs
- Automated Traffic Enforcement System Revenue Designation Amendment Act (introduced 2022):
- Would require funds from automated traffic enforcement (e.g., speed cameras) to be spent on traffic safety improvements, changing the current practice of sending that money to DC’s general fund.
#SafeStreetsDC #WDoR2022
Highlighted 2022 World Day of Remembrance Events for the Greater Washington region
Ride for Your Life: A Ride to Congress in Memory of Sarah (Debbink) Lagenkamp
Morning of Saturday, November 19
You’re invited to ride to Capitol Hill to urge the U.S. Congress and the Biden Administration to fund safe biking and pedestrian infrastructure and create regulations to improve truck safety. With Congress’ 2023 appropriations process taking place right now, now is the time to press Congress to act. Timed to coincide with World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, your participation will help demand change — across the country and around the world.
Read more information and RSVP here
Local Commemorations for World Day of Remembrance
Sunday, November 20
- Alexandria FSS event at 11:30am
- Montgomery County FSS event at 1pm
- Fairfax FSS event at 1:30pm
- Arlington FSS event at 3pm
Families for Safe Streets Virtual Candle Lighting
Monday, November 21 at 8pm eastern via Zoom
If you have been personally impacted by a crash, join other families from across the country for a one-hour virtual candle-lighting and memorial slideshow to remember those we have lost or have been seriously injured, reflect on our WDoR activities, and jointly support one another for the work ahead. Please share a photo of your loved one, your injury, and/or your local WDoR event for our virtual memorial slideshow. Please email photos no later than Sunday, November 20th to info[at]FamiliesForSafeStreets.org. RSVP here.