15 November 2009

“ROADTEARS” – Romania - demonstration held for the 9^th year

In Romania, road traffic victims have been commemorated within project ROADTEARS since 2001. As victim of a serious traffic accident which left me disabled, through my civic and public involvement came to know tens of victims of road traffic accidents and the surviving relatives of the deceased, and organised for the first time in Romania actions to trigger an alarm signal for this true “road traffic genocide” which kills 3000 people yearly and leaves another 5000 disabled; starting 1990 to the present day over 50000 have been killed and other tens of thousands were left disabled! The greatest tragedy is that most victims are innocent.

On learning the terrible news of the great number of road traffic accidents, on the occasion of the first edition of ROADTEARS project, I committed to commemorating road traffic victims by lighting candles, bringing flowers and shedding from the heart a “roadtear”.

Later I found out that the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims – FEVR commemorates road traffic victims on initiative of Mrs. Brigitte Chaudhry, Founder President of RoadPeace, at present President of FEVR. Also, I learned that it was proposed to the United Nations that this commemorative day should become official throughout the world.

This way I learned that all throughout the world there are associations and organisations fighting for the severe reduction of an absurd and stupid cause of mortality, by requesting from governments and state institutions firm and immediate measures in their national strategies of road safety.

The original ‘ROADTEARS’ project which anticipated 6 years in advance Romanian Government decision to make this day official, received the appreciation of personalities such as President of Romania Traian Basescu, Princess Margaret of Romania, Ministry of Administration and Internal Affairs Vasile Blaga, Head of EU Delegation Jonathan Scheele (UK) and others, and received the Special Award at Civil Society Gala in 2006. Also, project ROADTEARS received appreciation from European Commission through President Manuel Barroso and Secretary General Terry Davis, and on May 7-8 2009, at the invitation of the World Health Organisation to participate in the Global Meeting of Nongovernmental Organizations Advocating for Road Safety, representating Romania among organisations and association recognised for their involvement.

Under the conviction that no action however small from these NGOs but also from other projects initiated and realised individually, can contribute if not to stopping road traffic drama with serious social effects, at least contribute to reducing it.

The project of a disabled woman in crutches, one of the millions of victims of the real road traffic genocide worldwide, will take place this year, too, for the first time with encouraging news which gives hope, that the number of road traffic tragedies is decreasing; paradoxically, this success is not owed first of all to programmes for road safety, but to the world economic crisis and its effects on the road traffic sector.

''WORLD ACTION FOR WORLD COMMEMORATION '

'ROAD TEARS' – ROMANIA, Cornelia Galavan