Today is the seventh annual World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which was created "as a means to give recognition to persons injured or killed in road traffic crashes and the plight of relatives and others who must cope with the emotional and practical consequences of these events."
The theme of this year's World Day of Remembrance is "From Global Remembrance to Global Action across the Decade," and will hopefully draw attention to the fact that road crashes:
- kill nearly 3,500 persons each day worldwide (about 90 people each day in the United States)
- injure or disable 50 million people each year
- killed over 37,000 people in the United States in 2010, including just over 4,600 children and teens
- are the leading cause of death in the United states for people between the ages of 5 to 34 years
- cost about $100 billion in medical costs and lost work in the United States (2005 estimate)
What action can you take to help reduce these mostly preventable deaths from motor vehicle injuries? You can help spread the word about the CDC's efforts to improve car and booster seat use, improve seat belt use, and reduce impaired driving. You can also work to make sure that kids in your neighborhood have safe places to walk and bike, with sidewalks, paths, shoulders, and crosswalks.
And take the time today to remember all of the road traffic victims around the world.
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