Service to coincide with World Day remembering road victims

• A special service is being held to remember all those who have died or been seriously injured on Gloucestershire’s roads
• The Parish Church of All Saints, Pittville, Cheltenham, will host the event is part of World Remembrance Day for road victims on Sunday, 16 November at 2.30 p.m.
• The service is open to those of all faiths and those of no faith
• World Remembrance Day was introduced to remember the millions killed and seriously injured on roads around the world; to allow the bereaved to join together to reflect on the lives of those they miss and to acknowledge the emergency services and the work they do in responding to road traffic collisions
• Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Evans, who is chair of the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership, said, “I hope this event will provide an opportunity for quiet contemplation, and perhaps offer some feeling of fellowship for those who have suffered”.

The voice of the victim will be at the heart of a service to remember people who have been killed or seriously injured on Gloucestershire’s roads.

The Parish Church of All Saints, Pittville, Cheltenham, is hosting the event at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday, 16 November, the World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims.

According to the latest figures, 21 people have been killed so far this year because of incidents on local roads.

Nigel Lloyd-Jones, Co-lead of the Gloucestershire Older Drivers Forum, whose mother was killed in a crash in 2018, said the service is intended to allow those who are bereaved to play an active part.

“I think the most important thing for families who have lost loved ones in this way is being heard”, he said.

“When you are a family who suffers a bereavement on the road, first there’s this instant trauma. You are then beautifully held by the FLOs (Police family liaison officers) who do the most fantastic job. Then you have the Coroner’s Court. And when the support comes to an end, you are left with this lifetime scar.

“Right now, I am starting to go through in my memory the lead up to my own mother’s death on 9 December. I feel it at this time every year.

“This service is a chance for people who are bereaved to come together. To express and share with others their emotions, possibly still raw, and to know they are not forgotten”.

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year. It is a global event to remember the many millions who have been killed and seriously injured on the world’s roads. Similar services are taking place simultaneously up and down the country.

As well as families and friends of victims, emergency services personnel – especially those involved in dealing with incidents resulting in loss of life – also attend.

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Evans, who is chair of the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership, said, “The sudden, unexpected and traumatic experience of losing a loved one in an incident on the road, can be overwhelming. Talking to someone who has gone through a similar experience can often be a salvation.

“I hope this event will provide an opportunity for quiet contemplation, and perhaps offer some feeling of fellowship, for those who have suffered”.