BEND, Hours. (KTVZ) — Sunday is World Road Traffic Victims’ Day. People in central Oregon are asked to honor those killed in traffic accidents each year. Bend Bicycles hosts a lunchtime gathering at Peace Corner in downtown Bend.

Participants will take a memorial bike ride along NW Wall Street, then NW Riverside Boulevard near Drake Park. The ride will end at Peace Corner along NW Harmon Boulevard and NW Newport Avenue.

According to Bend Bikes, in the US more than 40,000 people die in traffic accidents each year.

Kelsey McGee will be on hand at the Peace Corner speaking with members of Bend Bikes. Her report will be on NewsChannel 21 at Six.

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The Bend City Council recently adopted a proclamation marking the World Day of Remembrance:

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Here is a press release from BendBikes.org:

Make your voice heard on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on 17 November

Bend, OR — November 17, 2024 — On November 17, concerned people across the United States and around the world will take time to reflect and then take action for World Road Traffic Day.

The number of World Day of Remembrance actions in the US has increased significantly in recent years. Community advocates and elected officials, along with survivors and people who have lost loved ones in crashes, are calling for more funding and faster delivery of road safety projects.

“We’ve made progress in creating safer streets in Bend, but there’s more to do,” said Bend Bikes President Elisa Cheng. “Bend benefits when more of its citizens bike, walk and roll. We achieve this goal by creating safer options for them to get around.

“Safer transportation options for people who bike, walk and roll means dedicated infrastructure that connects people to where they want to go and is comfortable for all ages and abilities,” Cheng added.

Shocking statistics of preventable tragedies on US roads

· Nearly 50,000 people die each year in traffic accidents in the US, according to the National Safety Council.

· The US ranks worst among 29 high-income countries analyzed for road safety by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The US population-based death rate is 11.1 per 100,000, the highest among the 29 high-income countries and 2.3 times the average rate of the other 28 countries (4.8 per 100,000 ).

· Traffic accidents in the US disproportionately harm some communities: People in very low-income neighborhoods are 73% more likely to be hit and killed while walking compared to the general population; Black people are nearly 30 percent more likely to be killed in crashes than whites.

· Cyclist deaths increased by 31% and pedestrian deaths increased by 58% between 2012 and 2021.

City of Bend: 1,623 traffic accidents and 1 fatality (Editor’s note: A 75-year-old man was hit and killed with a semi truck on Bend Parkway in March).

The Bend police database as of Oct. 21 lists a total of 1,623 traffic crash responses so far in 2024. Among those police crash responses:

· 129 accidents with injuries

· 181 accidents with unknown injuries

· 1 fatal accident.

· 496 hit and runs

“One preventable death is a tragedy, tens of thousands of them a year are a national crisis — one that requires not just our remembrance but our urgent action,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the of the World Day of Remembrance in 2022.

Advocates call for the implementation of proven, life-saving strategies

“We have the tools and know-how right now to prevent the majority of road deaths and serious injuries, but too often political and corporate leaders shirk their responsibility to address these preventable tragedies, leaving us we think they are inevitable, but they simply aren’t. true. If we implement proven strategies that work in other nations, we would save tens of thousands of lives,” said Leah Shahum, founder and executive director of the Vision Zero Network, a national organization supporting Vision Zero and the World Day of Remembrance.

Calls to action for the World Day of Remembrance include the following:

· Redesign roads and establish policies to prioritize safety over speed. Speed ​​is the most important contributing factor to road accidents and a leading indicator of injury severity. A reduction of just 1 mph in operating speed can result in a remarkable 17% decrease in fatal crashes. We advocate for city, state, and federal leaders to lower speed limits, redesign roads, and use proven technology to manage speeds and improve safety.

· Take advantage of new state and federal financing for safe short-term investments. Transport funding should focus on safe mobility for all road users – not speed – and be prioritized to benefit our communities who suffer disproportionately, including people who cycle, walk and roll.

· Improve safe cycling, walking and rolling options for people. We cannot achieve national climate targets without more convenient alternatives to single-occupancy car travel.

On 17 November, we urge everyone to join us in remembering all the people killed and seriously injured on the roads and in advocating for better support for road traffic victims and their families. We also recognize the crucial work carried out by those working for the emergency services.