Warwickshire public invited to remember road traffic victims in special online service

A special online remembrance service is taking place on Sunday 15 November at 3pm to honour all those from Warwickshire who have died in road traffic collisions.

The event, organised by Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire Philip Seccombe, brings together the key partners involved in road safety in the county, along with those who have lost loved ones on Warwickshire’s roads.

It takes place on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which was started in the UK by the RoadPeace charity in 1993. It went on to become a global day of commemoration in 2005, when it was endorsed by the United Nations, making it a major advocacy day for road traffic injury prevention.

Originally due to be hosted as a physical event at St Mary’s Church in Warwick, the coronavirus pandemic and current lockdown has meant that the service has been pre-recorded but will be streamed to the public online via the PCC’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

Nationally, some 1,800 people die on UK roads each year – more than twice the number of deaths from homicides and terrorism combined. A further 25,000+ people are seriously injured. Many are innocent victims.

In Warwickshire during 2019/20 34 people lost their lives on Warwickshire’s roads and a further 282 people were seriously injured as the result of a collision. Many of these will be someone’s husband, wife, child, friend or colleague.

Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said: “Any single death on our roads is one too many and during the service we will be taking some time to consider the suffering, grief and loss felt by those individuals and families who have been affected. We will also take time to remember those who have survived but have been left with life changing injuries.

“The impact on family and friends in every road death is immense and long-lasting. The ripple effects among whole communities can also be very significant and that’s why having a platform like this to bring people together in remembrance is something I have been keen to establish here in Warwickshire.

“While we cannot physically be together, I hope that this online event will provide comfort to anyone grieving for a loved one while also giving a focus for all of the work that is being done to reduce the numbers of people who suffer this world-shattering experience.”

Speakers will be accompanied by a reflective musical performance from the choir of St Mary’s.

As well as appreciating the devastating short and long term effects that sudden loss can bring and the support and assistance needed to help recover, the service will also ask those watching to join together in hope of change and to consider the potential for preventing road traffic collisions in future.

During the service speakers will include:

• Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe
• Chief Constable Martin Jelley, Warwickshire Police
• Chief Fire Officer Kieran Amos, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service
• Councillor Andy Crump, Warwickshire County Council
• The Revd Vaughan Roberts – Vicar of St Mary’s Church, Warwick
• Elaine Kennell, who tragically lost her daughter Trudi-Mae Kennell in a collision in Atherstone, Warwickshire in 2017. Trudi-Mae’s boyfriend Ryan and another of their friends also died in the collision.

Warwickshire’s Remembrance Service will complement the national service organized by RoadPeace that this year uses the slogan ‘Remember – Support – ACT’.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Road safety partners in Warwickshire are committed to achieving safer roads in Warwickshire, reducing casualties, working together and supporting those affected. We hope you can join us on 15 November at 3pm.

The event will be streamed on the PCC’s Facebook and YouTube channels. You can sign up for a reminder on the channels beforehand.

You can follow the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on social media @WDRemembrance or use the hashtag #WDoR2020.

For more information about the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims visit worlddayofremembrance.org and RoadPeace at www.roadpeace.org.

Ends

Notes to editors:
Picture shows (from left): Councillor Andy Crump, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Fire & Rescue and Community Safety and Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe promote the event outside St Mary’s Church in Warwick. Each of the pairs of shoes at the front represent a road death victim from Warwickshire during 2019/20.