World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
A vigil for the people killed and hurt on Phoenix streets
Sunday, November 15 · 5:30 p.m.
West Plaza Park, 6549 N. 43rd Ave., Phoenix
Hosted by Urban Phoenix Project and Valley Urban Action Alliance, with Families for Safe Streets
Please join us on Sunday, November 15. Families, crash survivors, neighbors, and partner groups will gather at West Plaza Park to remember the people killed and hurt in traffic crashes.
The evening will include a moment of silence, personal reflections, and time for families to honor loved ones. You are welcome to bring candles, photos, or mementos.
Bring a pair of shoes
Each empty pair of shoes stands for a person killed or seriously injured on our streets. Lined up together, they show the scale of the loss in a way a number on a page can't.
Please bring a pair of new or lightly worn shoes. If you would like to donate them, leave them with us after the vigil and they will be donated to a local charity. You are also welcome to take your pair home.
Why West Plaza Park
We're gathering near 43rd Avenue and Maryland Avenue, where at least six children on foot have been hit since 2017. Three were killed and three were injured.
Arizona's 3rd Congressional District has the highest pedestrian death rate of any congressional district in the country (Steve Davis, Dangerous by Design 2026: Congressional Rankings, Smart Growth America).
Local government has the biggest say in changing that. Cities decide how federal, state, and local transportation money is spent on their streets. They also decide which safety changes get built, and how quickly.
March 2017. A head-on crash sent a car onto the sidewalk. A 17-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were killed. A 5-year-old girl was seriously injured and an 8-year-old boy was hurt.
October 2017. A hit-and-run driver killed a 6-year-old girl crossing 43rd Avenue.
October 2023. A driver turning into a driveway hit a 16-year-old on the sidewalk, then left the scene.
These are only the crashes in official records. The real count is likely higher.
See the map of child crashes in Phoenix
Crash analysis by Nicole Sanderson, Urban Phoenix Project board member.
What is World Day of Remembrance?
It falls on the third Sunday of November. This year that is November 15. Communities around the world gather to remember those lost and call for safer street design, lower speeds, and safer vehicles.
Nicole Rodriguez · Urban Phoenix Project and Valley Urban Action Alliance · nrodriguez@valleyurban.org