Lost Talents on Our Roads: A Call to Remember, Support, and Act

Every day, lives are shattered. Dreams are cut short. Families are left in silence. On our roads, tragedy unfolds, not in distant lands, but in our own streets and communities. Children, young people, parents, neighbours—gone forever.

This is no ordinary loss. This is a pandemic of sorrow. A hidden crisis claiming millions each year. According to the WHO 2023 Global status report on road safety, road crashes claim approximately 1.19 million lives and injure nearly 50 million people annually, with the greatest burden borne by low- and middle-income countries. 

In Africa, road traffic remains the leading cause of death among youth aged 5–29, with pedestrians and cyclists among the most vulnerable. Each number is not just a statistic; it is a life, a story, a promise unfulfilled.

On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we pause, remember, and mourn. But remembrance is not enough, we must act.

In Nigeria, every life lost on the road is a talent lost to our nation: a young person, a parent, a worker, taken too soon. A quiet room where laughter once lived. A deserted playground. An empty stage. These are the spaces where absence speaks the loudest.

Road traffic injury is one of the leading causes of death for children and young people; the leaders, innovators, artists, teachers, and builders of tomorrow. When we lose them, we lose potential, progress, and hope.

Too often, our response is muted. Laws are weak, enforcement is inconsistent, and road deaths are treated lightly. A crash is called an “accident,” as if fate alone is to blame. But we know better: these are preventable tragedies. Every crash has a cause. Every injury leaves a mark that can last a lifetime.

We must acknowledge the tireless work of emergency responders, police, paramedics, and doctors. They face heartbreak daily, rushing to scenes of carnage, lifting bodies, comforting the wounded, offering solace where sorrow overwhelms. They are heroes, but even their courage cannot compensate for unsafe roads and broken systems.

The World Day of Remembrance calls on us to Remember. Support. Act. We remember the lives lost. We support those left behind—the families, the injured, and the communities. We act with urgency, compassion, and resolve.

Action begins with awareness. Every road user must understand that safety is a shared responsibility. Roads are not racetracks. Vehicles are not weapons. Speed kills. Distraction kills. Carelessness kills. Respect saves lives.

Action requires enforcement. Traffic laws must be clear, fair, and applied consistently. Speed limits are lifelines. Seatbelts, helmets, and child restraints are shields against death. Every driver, passenger, and cyclist must feel the weight of responsibility.

Action demands infrastructure. Safe roads, clear signs, pedestrian crossings, street lighting, and proper markings save lives. Governments, communities, and civil society must design roads that protect rather than endanger.

Action calls for empathy. Victims and their families deserve support, psychological care, medical aid, legal assistance, compensation, and recognition. The pain of loss should never be deepened by neglect.

On this day, we honor those taken too soon and the resilience of those who survive. We pledge not to let their talents vanish into silence. Their stories will guide us; their memory will drive us to change.

Every life saved is a victory. Every law enforced is progress. Every child protected is a promise kept. We have the knowledge, the tools, and the will. What remains is action; bold, urgent, persistent.

To the families of those lost: your grief is seen. Your sorrow is shared. Your loved ones are not forgotten. Their memory lives in every campaign, every policy, every act of prevention.

To our leaders: the cost of inaction is measured in lives; the cost of indifference, in tears. Invest in road safety. Strengthen laws. Build safer streets. Educate citizens. Every measure matters. Every moment counts.

To every citizen: your choices matter. Your speed matters. Your attention matters. One second of caution can save a lifetime. One act of responsibility can prevent unimaginable pain.

On this World Day of Remembrance, we say again: Remember. Support. Act. Not tomorrow, not later, but today.

Let us turn grief into resolve, loss into action. Roads must become safe again. Talents must not be lost again. Lives must be valued. Families must be spared. Together, we can rewrite the story of our roads.

Remember the lost. Support the living. Act to prevent more heartbreak. Every life matters. Every family matters. Every future matters.

Mr Mohamed Malick Fall is the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria while Mr Shehu Mohammed (mni) is the Corps Marshal/ CEO of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)