A national remembrance event for traffic accident victims was held on Nov. 19 in Hanoi , organised by the National Committee for Traffic Safety.

Speaking at the live broadcast event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that everyone knows the devastating effects of traffic accidents and every single Vietnamese citizen has to realise the impact they have on the lives of every family and the country's development.

He called on all Government agencies, localities and organisations to strive towards making Vietnam 's roads better and safer.

"We need to voluntarily follow traffic regulations so there are less cases of children losing fathers and mothers and families losing loved ones, and we call on everyone to pray for the victims and their families."

On average, 30 people die each day from traffic accidents in the country, and Vietnam has the 11th highest fatality rate globally from accidents of this kind.

At the meeting, documentaries featuring thoughts of well-known figures were screened, aiming to raise awareness among the public, and calling on them to create safer streets.

According to official government statistics, traffic accidents killed nearly 11,400 people in 2011 and injured more than 48,730.

In the first nine months of this year, the number of deaths reached 6,923 and nearly 25,000 people were injured.

Besides remembering those who lost their lives in traffic accidents, many localities across the country also gave presents and financial support to their families.-VNA