Families Honor Loved Ones at World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
BISMARCK, N.D. – Families and friends of those who have lost their lives or were severely injured in vehicle crashes joined state and local officials at the North Dakota State Capitol on Friday to commemorate World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
This annual international event honors the millions of people who are killed and millions more who are injured on the world's roads each year. It also serves as a call to action to prevent such tragedies. Vision Zero hosted its fourth observance in North Dakota, raising awareness about lives lost on the state's roads every year.
The event featured a temporary memorial created by families of road traffic victims with items representing their loved ones, and a display from North Dakota's Crash Memorial Wall, which pays tribute to lives lost to traffic crashes.
Speakers included representatives from the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT), North Dakota Highway Patrol and Becky Johnson, who lost her son Isaiah in a crash caused by an underage, impaired driver.
"Losing Isaiah changed my life forever," Johnson said. "No family should have to go through this kind of pain. If sharing our story can make even one person think twice before drinking and driving, then Isaiah's memory continues to save lives."
Johnson's message emphasized the importance of prevention, which remains the foundation of the Vision Zero initiative.
"Every number in our crash data represents a loved one whose life was cut short," said Robin Rehborg, NDDOT Deputy Director for Driver Safety. "World Day of Remembrance is about honoring those lives and recommitting to Vision Zero's goal: zero fatalities and serious injuries on North Dakota roads."
Concrete Daisiez donated flowers for the families in attendance, and a moment of silence was observed for 75 seconds to represent the 75 lives lost on North Dakota roads so far in 2025.
Learn more about the Vision Zero strategy and its traffic safety campaigns at VisionZero.ND.gov.