Charlotte remembers lives lost to traffic crashes (South Charlotte Weekly)
Charlotte commemorated lives lost on city streets through a World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event on Nov. 20 at First Ward Park.
This year’s World Day of Remembrance expressed extra urgency as the number of people dying and severely injured in preventable traffic crashes in the U.S. is rising at an alarming rate. In 2021, 42,060 people died in traffic crashes in the U.S. according to National Safety Council (NSC) estimates. And 2022 is shaping up to be even more deadly, with an estimated 7% increase in people killed for the same quarter in 2021.
The Charlotte World Day of Remembrance event included an elevated shoe display representing each life lost on city streets from 2019 to 2021. Those attending the event also heard directly from family members affected by traffic violence, as well as Smith, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings and Sustain Charlotte Executive Director Shannon Binns.