FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM NCAST – Gov. Josh Stein has proclaimed this coming Sunday, Nov. 15, World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in North Carolina.
The proclamation recognizes an international day to remember people killed and seriously injured on our roads, acknowledge first responders and advocate for better driving habits.
The proclamation notes that:
- Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for young people in the United States
- The average vehicle on a U.S. roadway weighs more than 4,400 pounds
- About 1.2 million people are killed in road crashes each year
- In recent years North Carolina lost an average of 1,675 people a year to crashes
- Crashes are preventable
“We all bear responsibility to focus, drive carefully and keep each other safe,” the governor said in his proclamation.
The NC Alliance for Safe Transportation (NCAST) and partner groups sincerely thank the governor for drawing attention to the problem. NCAST, the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, North Carolina Families for Safe Streets, the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State University and others organize annual World Day of Remembrance events on or around the third Sunday of November, which this year is Nov. 15.
NCAST will hold four events this year:
- Asheville: Sunday at 1 pm, HomeTrust Park – 30 Buchanan Place
- Lillington: Sunday at 12:30 pm, Crossroads Church – 1301 S. Main St.
- Greenville: Sunday at 2 pm, NC DMV / State Highway Patrol building, 4651 N Creek Dr.
- Wilmington: Sunday at 1 pm, City Hall, 929 N. Front St.
At least two other events are planned by partner safety groups:
- Greensboro: Friday, Nov. 13 at 10 am, City Center Park, 200 N. Elm St.
- Winston Salem: Sunday at 2 pm, Forsyth County Central Library 660 W. 5th St.
All six events are open to the public and the media. Local and state officials will attend, as will state and local law enforcement and NCAST Teen Ambassadors who may share personal stories of loss.
This year NCAST also reached out to more than 250 houses of worship and faith communities asking them to publish the following prayer request in bulletins, newsletters and anywhere else they publish these requests:
Ahead of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday, November 15, please pray for the families and friends of the 1,524 people killed in traffic crashes in North Carolina last year. And please pray that we will all show one another love and care by always being safe and responsible on the road.
That 2025 fatality total is North Carolina’s lowest in 5 years, according to figures compiled by the NC Division of Motor Vehicles. It’s 12% lower than the number of people North Carolina lost in 2024.
“We’re heartened by that drop,” NCAST Board Chair Tiffany Wright said. “But you look at all those empty shoes, and you think about the people, including children, lost to carelessness on our roads, and you have to conclude: We can and must do better. Slow down. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t look at your phone. And wear your seatbelt – more than 40% of people who died in crashes weren’t wearing one.”
For more information or interviews contact Travis Fain: travis@faincommunications.com or 919.630.9296 (cell).
About NCAST
The North Carolina Alliance for Safe Transportation (NCAST) was created in 2022 to communicate safe driving messages, engage North Carolinians and champion policies that promote better behavior across all forms of transportation. It has one goal: reduce the number of transportation-related crashes, injuries and fatalities in North Carolina.