PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release For more information and media interview requests contact:

FEVR Jeannot Mersch, President FEVR

Phone: +352 621 145167 (mobile) Email: media@fevr.org president@fevr.org

25 years of hard work, but still much left to do

As from 6^th July 2016, FEVR will be established in Brussels.

FEVR will mark their 25th anniversary on 6^th July 2016 with a celebration in Brussels.

Founded in 1991 in Geneva, FEVR has worked over 2 ½ decades for and with road traffic victims – championing their rights and representing their voice. Much has been achieved in the 3 areas targeted by our campaigns - Road Danger Reduction, Criminal & Civil Justice and Health – but much still remains to be done.

Starting with just 4 members in 1991, we are now 25 national associations from 17 different countries who together fight for the rights of road victims - those who had family members killed and the seriously injured - and for reducing the numbers of road deaths and injuries as well as the severity of injuries.

1991-2016: 25 years signifies also 250 million road traffic victims worldwide

From the time FEVR was set up in July 1991 until July 2016, worldwide more than 40 Million people lost their lives as the result of a road crash* and more than 200 Million were seriously injured. In Europe alone, there were about 5 Million road traffic victims during that same period: over 750.000 fatalities and over 4 million seriously injured. *road fatality statistics do not include people who have died from their injuries more than 30 days after the crash, often even earlier than 30 days

FEVR is the creator of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, a Day, which FEVR members have begun to observe jointly on every third Sunday in November from 1995 onwards. Through our membership of the UNRSC, which we informed of this Day, our World Day was adopted by the UN on 26^th October 2005 and is now a UN-registered Day, which is observed on every continent – not only by road victim and road safety NGOs, but by relevant institutions, companies, government departments and also individuals. FEVR has set up and is in charge of the official World Day of Remembrance website, as well as associated social media channels.

Brigitte CHAUDHRY, author and editor of the World Day website said: “It has been wonderful to witness the spread of World Day commemorations throughout the world and to know that we victims are linked with each other on that special day in remembering our loved ones. Of course we hope that raising awareness of the terrible consequences of crashes will lead to a serious reduction of road danger and hence future deaths and injuries. We therefore hope that thanks to the existence of our World Day we will have to remember fewer new road victims each year.”

FEVR, recognized as a partner at the European, UN and WHO Institutions, is regularly invited to speak at conferences and seminars, participate at stakeholder meetings and is consulted and invited to collaborate on different projects and programmes.

FEVR President, Jeannot Mersch, remarked: „I am very grateful to Marcel HAEGI, our founder and 1. President, who sadly died in 2004, and to Brigitte CHAUDHRY, 2.president (2004-2010). Without them and their voluntary, passionate everyday work over many years, FEVR would not have reached its current standing in Europe and beyond. Now our voices are heard all over Europe, as well as globally.”

FEVR’s recent awards

After receiving the International Prince Michael Road Safety Award last November in Brasilia - for their pivotal role and 20-year work in the establishment of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims - FEVR also received, just one month ago, the Fundacion MAPFRE Award for “Best Initiative for Prevention and Road Safety 2015”.

We are now finalising a 3 years strategy and look forward to realising all our projects, sometimes in small steps, but several smaller steps can also reach the target.

We have learned from the past, are living for today and hope for tomorrow……..

FEVR established in Brussels

After changing addresses with changing presidents, from Geneva to Roma, London and Luxemburg, FEVR will now be established in Brussels, hosted by our Belgian member organisation PEVR at the “House of Road Safety” in BRSI facilities close to the airport, but also close to the EU Institutions and other EU NGOs.

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