It is a day to remember those who have died in traffic, to consider the responsibility of each person in traffic and not the least to thank the responders who provide help and rescue. At this time, special emphasis is placed on initial response at the site of the accident and emergency assistance.

Memorial Day 2023

The United Nations has dedicated the third Sunday in November to World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. This year a memorial service will be held. All are welcome.

Units of the Icelandic Accident Prevention Association Landsbjörg and other response parties will also be hosting symbolic activities around the country on Sunday 19 November, and will be streamed from some of them on the Facebook pages of rescue teams and emergency response units. Memorial Day is also marked by the Icelandic Transportation Authority, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Sjálfsbjörg, the Icelandic Accident Prevention and Control Association, the Emergency line, the police and the Icelandic Road Administration.

Program of the memorial ceremony in Reykjavík

The memorial service in Reykjavík will be held at the helipad outside the in Fossvogur:
14:00 Commemoration set - Bergþóra Þorkelsdóttir director of the Road Administration
14:05 President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson delivers a speech
14:10 One minute silence
14:11 Minister of Health Willum Þór Þórsson delivers a speech
14:16 Inda Hrönn Björnsdóttir talks about her experience
14:25 Formal ceremony over
14:25 Offered coffee, cocoa and with it

Commemorations across the country

Dalvík
The accident prevention department Dalvík and Sr. Oddur Bjarni will host a mass in Dalvíkur church at 20:00 on November 19 to honor the memory of the victims of traffic accidents. After mass, the accident prevention department Dalvík will offer waffles.

Hnífsdalur
The accident prevention department in Iðunn á Ísafjörður and the accident prevention department in Hnífsdal are holding a memorial service on Hnífsdal road at 13:00 on November 19. Responders, rescue teams from Hnífsdal, Ísafjörður and Bolungarvík and police and fire brigade, come together with their fleet of vehicles with flashing lights. After that or at 14:00 there will be a gathering outside Guðmundarbíd on Ísafjörður.
A few talks will be given and candles will be lit. Coffee and waffles will be served in Guðmundarbúðar's hall after the ceremony. All welcome.

Höfn í Hornafirði
Emergency responders in the municipality will come together to remember those who have died in traffic accidents in recent years. A service will be held in Hafnarkirkja at 14:00 on November 19. Everyone is invited to come and have fellowship with us. Coffee will be served in the church hall at the end of the service.

Patreksfjördur
Patreksfjörður emergency responders will hold a memorial service at Patreksfjörður Church at 2:00 pm on November 19. Coffee and refreshments will be served in the church afterwards.

Reykjanesbær
The accident prevention department Dagbjörg and Björgunarsveit Suðurnes are holding a memorial service in Ytri Njarðvíkur church at 14:00 on November 19. A priest will address the guests, candles will be lit and representatives from the hospital, the police and the fire department will be present. Light refreshments will be available.

Sauðárkrókur
The Skagfírðingasveit rescue team plans to go together with the police and fire brigade to Nafir in Sauðárkrók and light red torches in memory of the victims of traffic accidents at 18.00 on November 19.

Siglufjördur
The Accident Prevention Department Värn is holding a memorial service at the church steps below Siglufjörður Church at 17:00 on November 19. There will be a speech and a singer will come and sing some beautiful songs. Hot cocoa, coffee, gingerbread and sweets will be offered.

Suðurland
A memorial service will be held at Þingborg at 18.00 on November 19.

Westman Islands
The accident prevention department Eykyndill will light candles at the cemetery gate on Kirkjuvegin in Vestmannaeyjar at 18:00 on November 19. Pastor Guðmundur will give a blessing.

The national broadcasters join in the play on When I Think of Angels.

The song has become a feature song on World Day of Remembrance. It is written by KK (Kristján Kristjánsson) and sung by his sister Ellen. Kristján wrote the song in memory of their sister who died in a road accident in the United States in 1992.

All Icelandic radio stations with live broadcasts will join in the playback of the song around 14:00 on Memorial Day.

Why Day of Remembrance?

Worldwide, approximately 3,600 people are killed and hundreds of thousands injured in traffic every day. That is approximately 1.3 million in one year.

Since the first fatal accident was registered in Iceland on 25 August 1915, on 29 September 2023, a total of 1607 persons have died in traffic. More people are seriously injured, dealing with trauma, grief, and regret caused by these events.

They often forget to thank you and think of those involved in accidents who need a moment to nurture and rescue people in often very difficult circumstances. Usually, the first responders to an accident are passersby who face the daunting task of saving lives. On this day, the very intention is to draw attention to these people. The importance of public knowledge of help in crisis management and the order of priority in the event of accidents will be discussed;

You might be the person who doesn't know someone who has had a serious accident on the road. There is therefore much to be done to prevent accidents and this day can strengthen our awareness of this and our responsibility.