The Road Safety Authority (RSA) today hosted a moving ceremony at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, to launch Ireland’s national commemoration of the 2025 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

The international day honours the memory of those who have lost their lives or been seriously injured on the world’s roads, while offering solidarity to grieving families and recognising the tireless efforts of the emergency services.

Among the speakers were Stephen Doyle, who spoke about the unimaginable loss of his three brothers, Darren, David and Ryan, killed together in a collision in 2012; and Jacinta McIntyre, who remembered her sister Sarah, killed in 1999.

“Losing my three brothers in one moment shattered our world,” explained Stephen Doyle. “There are no words for the heavy, heavy silence that follows — the empty chairs, the birthdays that never come. The loss didn’t stop with them; it rippled through every part of our family. Children were left without their fathers; my parents lost three sons in an instant. You learn to live around the grief, but it never leaves you.”

The ceremony also included a profoundly emotional musical tribute from Steve Wall, lead singer of The Stunning, who performed in memory of his three-year-old niece Eistlin, who was killed on her way to crèche in 2017. Her father, Steve’s brother Vinny, was seriously injured in the collision, caused by a truck driver who later pleaded guilty to careless driving.

Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety, Seán Canney, joined bereaved families, survivors, members of the emergency services, representatives of the Irish Road Victims Association (IRVA), and RSA Chairperson Anne Graham and CEO Sam Waide for the event.

“I’ve met many families who have suffered unimaginable heartbreak after losing a loved one on our roads,” Minister Canney stated.

“Those conversations stay with you. They remind me every day of the responsibility we have to do everything possible — through policy, enforcement, and education — to prevent further loss and protect every life on our roads.”

Sam Waide added: “For the families and survivors here, the pain and resilience they carry remind us why road safety is about so much more than numbers or targets. Their courage in sharing their stories gives meaning to our work and strengthens our resolve to protect others from the same heartbreak.”

Since its inception in 1993, World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims has been observed across the world to honour the millions who have been killed or seriously injured in road collisions.

On Sunday November 16th, remembrance events will take place across the country to serve as both a time of reflection and a call to action: to cherish those we have lost, to support those who live with loss and injury, and to renew the collective commitment to safer roads.

So far in 2025, 147 people have lost their lives on Irish roads — three more than at the same time last year.

Behind every number is a person, a family, and a community forever changed.