CHARLOTTE — Members of the Charlotte community came together to hold “World Day of Remembrance” for road traffic victims.
A ceremony was held on Sunday at First Ward Park in uptown Charlotte to remember pedestrians and cyclists who have died on the city’s streets.
The Charlotte Department of Transportation’s “Vision Zero” will be hosting the event, which has the goal of getting to zero traffic deaths by the year 2030.
Organizers aim to bring awareness to those using the roadways but not using vehicles, such as those who walk, ride bikes or get around in other ways.
[ ALSO READ: ‘Lawlessness’: 9 Investigates a rise in reckless driving on Charlotte streets ]
“Just because we don’t walk, or drive, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be mindful of people who walk and people who ride bikes, and just taking that personal accountability and awareness, because it’s gonna take drivers, being aware, and maybe arguably more so, than the people who are choosing to walk or ride their bikes,” said Lauren Sawyers of Sustain Charlotte.
After the ceremony, there was a walking tour of the surrounding area to show some of the city’s recent traffic safety improvements.
Channel 9 has reported on reckless driving in the Charlotte area in the past. Officers issued more than 1,200 citations in 2021 to drivers who didn’t stop at red lights.
“Everybody needs to be almost a stakeholder in the safety of driving cars in intersections,” said Justin Kupfer, a detective with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Major Crash Investigation Unit.
(WATCH BELOW: Traffic pattern changes for busy street in Charlotte’s Elizabeth neighborhood)
This browser does not support the video element.