Innovate Memphis and partners host World Day of Remembrance event for road crash victims
NewsOn Sunday, November 17, Innovate Memphis joined more than 500 communities and community organizations around the world to participate in the World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims. As one of the Memphis event sponsors, we were humbled and grateful for the opportunity to honor those who have lost their lives or been impacted by roadway crashes.
As we reflect on our afternoon spent remembering the lives lost, we are grateful that our call to action did not end when the day came to a close. We are called to advocate for change each and every day. Jackson McNeil, Transportation & Mobility Director of Commute Options (an initiative of Innovate Memphis), said it best: “We accept fatal and serious traffic crashes as business as usual in our community. We tend to think it was a freak accident, there’s nothing we could have done. But when there are over 200 fatal crashes in our city every year, it’s no longer a freak accident. It’s something that we can expect. It’s something that we can change.”
Here are a few ways you can help:
Sign the End the Trend petition – In Tennessee, the number of fatal crashes continues to rise at an alarming rate. Over the past decade, more than 11,000 people have lost their lives on Tennessee’s roadways, and over 60,000 have been seriously injured. These numbers are not just data points – they represent lives cut short, shattered families, and costly medical bills. We have to change that. This petition aims to end this deadly trend by demanding action from state leaders to make our streets safer.
Join Families for Safe Streets – Families for Safe Streets is a fast-growing national movement supporting, organizing and elevating the voices of those affected by roadway deaths and severe injuries to end the preventable epidemic of traffic violence on our roadways.
Join the William’s Walk Facebook Group – William McConnell was 14 years old when a driver struck and killed him in the middle of a crosswalk. In his memory, the McConnell family founded William’s Walk to advocate for safer streets in Memphis.
Innovate Memphis was honored to participate in the 2024 World Day of Remembrance. We hope this year will mark a turning point in our community toward safer streets for all.
You can read more about the event in both local and national news stories: Memphis Marks World Remembrance Day for Car Crash Victims (FOX13), Candlelight Vigil Held in Honor of World Day of Remembrance article and video (Action News 5), and World Day Of Remembrance Observed For Road Traffic Victims (Forbes).
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