Black balloons released in memory of victims of traffic accidents

Dozens of black balloons flied into the sky on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims marked in the Great National Assembly Square in Chisinau on November 14. A service in memory of those who died in traffic accidents was held in the square. The event was attended by employees of the Ministry of the Interior, relatives and friends of victims of road accidents. Each of them held by a black balloon, which symbolizes the soul of a dead person released into the sky, Info-Prim Neo reports. The commemoration has been organized by the Traffic Police Department in concert with the Union of Motorists of Moldova the third consecutive year, following the adoption of the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly calling on governments to mark the third Sunday in November each year as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, on April 25, 2005. “This action is aimed at making the people acknowledge the social impact of the car accidents, especially the risks to which the drivers are exposed,” said Gheorghe Botnariuc, the head of the Traffic Police Department. According to him, driving under the influence, speeding, non-fastening of the seat belt, non-use of crash helmets and non-stopping at crosswalks are the major causes of traffic accidents. “The event aims to sensitize all the participants in the traffic,” said Vladimir Balla, the president of the Union of Motorists of Moldova. “We made available different brochures about the dangers and serious consequences of road accidents and hold meetings for drivers centering on the observance of traffic rules”. “During two days, all the churches in the country will hold services to commemorate the victims of car accidents,” said priest Boris Papuc, the bishop of All Saints Church. Every year, the car involved in the last accident is placed in the Great National Assembly Square on the Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. This year, there was placed the car in which an 18-year-old girl died in a road accident. The driver aged 23 received serious injuries and was hospitalized. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the 2,366 accidents that happened in Moldova this year resulted in 385 deaths and 2,900 persons injured.