In Kyrgyzstan, road traffic collisions kill more than 1,000 people each year, that is three per day. In 2015, this included 96 children. The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, celebrated on 20th November, therefore is essential to help people realise the importance and impact of good road safety practices.
To mark this year’s World Day of Remembrance, EASST partner, Road Safety Kyrgyzstan along with the Traffic Police and Ministry of Health held a series of events with the support of the Soros Foundation – Kyrgyzstan.
On 18th November, representatives of Road Safety visited children who have been injured in road crashes, and offered them small gifts in recognition of their courage in overcoming the challenge they now face as a result of their injuries.
Later that day there was a ceremony of commemoration at Victory Square in downtown Bishkek. 1060 posters were laid out on the ground to represent the 1060 people killed on the roads in 2015. Students from medical universities, schoolchildren, representatives of the Ministry of Health, Traffic Police, along with members of the public joined the ceremony which involved short speeches by the Head of the Traffic Police, a representative of the Ministry of Health and the Director of Road Safety Kyrgyzstan. There was a minute’s silence followed by the release of 96 white balloons in remembrance of the 96 children killed in 2015.
The commemoration aimed to remind people that everyone is responsible not only for their own life, but of others’ lives on the road, and that anyone can be a victim as well as the culprit of a crash.
Despite the cold weather on the day, many TV and radio services also turned out to cover the event. With the TV channel NBT braodcasting the video three times a day till the end of the month. You can watch Road Safety Kyrgyzstan’s full length video here.
- “Birinchi Radio” – live in Russian (5.05-5.15 pm)
- “Mir” TV in Russian (interview, news program)
- “NBT” in Russian (8.30 pm – interview, news program)
- “NTS” in Russian (4 pm, 8.30 pm – interview, news program)
- “Autogid” newspaper (article published on 23rd November in Russian)
- «Reiter» TV in Russian
- “24 kg” online news agency in Russian
- “Super kg” online news agency in Kyrgyz
- “Birinchi Radio” – news programs in Kyrgyz (5.05-5.15 pm)
- “Maral” Radio – in Kyrgyz
- “VB” online news agency in Russian
- “Maral” Radio – in Kyrgyz – Live from 8.15 am – 8.25 am
- «ОN1» ТВ in Kyrgyz at 8 -8.20 pm – in Kyrgyz and 9-9.20 pm – in Russian
- https://www.facebook.com/on1kg/videos/1725469511113533/?__mref=message_bubble – in Kyrgyz
- https://www.facebook.com/on1kg/videos/1725469607780190/?__mref=message_bubble – in Russian
