Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership has revealed the design concept for a new permanent memorial for road traffic victims that will be located at Hartshill Hayes Country Park in North Warwickshire.

It is hoped the new permanent memorial will offer anyone affected by a road traffic collision a peaceful location where they can go to remember their loved one, friend or relative.

If you would like to find out more about the designs for the memorial, they will be on display this Sunday 20 November 2022 at St Mary’s Church, Warwick from 2.30pm to 4.30pm where a service will be held to commemorate the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2022 (#WDoR2022).  

The church will open from 2.30pm to provide the opportunity for anyone who would like to light a candle and take some time for silent reflection. 

Open to all faiths, the service, led by Canon Peter Holliday, will start promptly at 3pm and last no longer than one hour.

Lead Chaplain for Warwickshire Police, Matthew Hopley said “The death of a loved one isn’t something we move on from, rather the grief moves with us. We adapt to live with grief and the feelings of sorrow and loss, yet we choose to be intentional in how we honour our loved one’s life and legacy. As we collectively gather to remember those precious to us, we find comfort and seek a brighter hope for tomorrow.”

“You are invited to the service of remembrance as we personally and collectively honour their lives. The service is open to everyone of any faith or of non-belief, all are welcome.”

Police and Crime Commissioner and Chair of Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership Philip Seccombe said “It is even more poignant that the service is taking place during BRAKE Road Safety Week that has the theme of Safe Roads for All.

“This is something Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is working towards achieving with the ambitious target of halving the number of people killed or injured on our roads by 2030. We will do this through a proactive partnership approach and have set up working groups to examine what more can be done to ensure our road design, vehicles, road users, speeds and post collision response are developed with saving lives at the core of what we do. The public also plays a part by using the roads safely.

“We will never forget those people whose lives have been lost or changed forever on our roads and that’s why establishing a permanent memorial for road traffic victims in Warwickshire is so important.  We hope this will also provide a location for a multi faith memorial service next year. If all goes to plan, the memorial will be in place by summer 2023.”

For those unable to attend in person the service will also be live streamed on Facebook (please search @stmaryswarwick on Facebook). 

A Remembrance Service ‘toolkit’ is also available on our website (https://warksroadsafety.org/warwickshireremembers/) with information and readings you can choose from to create your own service of remembrance at a time and place that suits you.

Whatever you do this Sunday, please pause and take a moment to remember the lives lost and injured on our roads.

More information about the service at St Mary’s Church, Warwick is available here and online here https://warksroadsafety.org/warwickshireremembers/ where you can leave on online tribute to visit whenever you want from a mobile or computer to remember your loved one.  By posting a tribute you are also helping to raise awareness of the long-term consequences of a collision. But please do what’s right for you.

 Additional information

In Warwickshire in 2021, 15 (2019, 34) people lost their lives and 215 people (2019, 282) were seriously injured in road traffic collisions.