On the occasion of the «World Day in Memory of Road Victims» next November 15th, Marco Cavroso wishes to bring to public attention an open letter in which I ask to modify its name to World Day in Memory of Victims of Road Violence.

Here is the full text of the open letter written in view of an appointment that should not only be superficial, but transform into something concrete and truly useful for all those who ride.

I am the father of Tommaso, killed at just thirteen years old while training on his bicycle. For years, on the occasion of this anniversary, I receive invitations to participate in commemorations and institutional ceremonies. This year too my chair will remain empty. For years I have decided not to participate anymore. Not because I don't want to remember. Not because I don't respect the pain of other families. But because I don't recognize myself in a denomination that I consider profoundly wrong.

The road doesn't kill anyone. It's precisely that «of» that I contest. Victims of the road. As if the road could become distracted, accelerate, drive under the influence, ignore a sign or decide that its own haste is worth more than another human being's life. I am well aware that this expression is used to indicate the place where these tragedies occur and not necessarily to attribute responsibility to the road itself. But I believe that an institutional denomination should do more than indicate a location: it should help recognize the causes of these deaths and promote a culture capable of preventing them.

Too often it is irresponsible behavior, violations of rules, indifference towards others that kill. Sometimes inadequate infrastructure, omissions and responsibilities of those who should guarantee safety play a role. Yet, we continue to speak generically of «road victims» and «accidents», expressions that can make foreseeable and avoidable events appear as tragic fatalities as if they were natural disasters.

Words are not innocent. They condition our way of interpreting reality and, consequently, our way of addressing it. For this reason I ask that the official name of the day be changed. No longer «World Day in Memory of Road Victims», but «World Day in Memory of Victims of Road Violence». It is not a simple substitution of words. It is a change of perspective. It means recognizing that behind many of these tragedies there is not an inescapable destiny, but a human and collective responsibility. It means giving a name to the violence that arises not only from intentional aggression, but also from recklessness, arrogance, systematic violation of rules and contempt for others' safety. It is a violence that has its roots in widespread road incivility.

But road incivility is not fought only with sanctions, controls and regulations. It is fought also, and above all, with education, forming aware citizens from childhood. Respect for rules, perception of risk, awareness of the consequences of one's behavior and, first and foremost, respect for others' lives must become an integral part of children's and young people's education. It is not just about teaching how to recognize a traffic sign or how to cross a street correctly. It is about educating for coexistence, responsibility and mutual respect. Road safety does not begin when you get your license. It begins much earlier, in the family, at school and in the daily example of adults. This is where the cultural change capable of finally bringing the road closer to civility must start. I do not contest the value of memory, nor the need of families to remember their loved ones. I respect those who participate in these commemorations and those who sincerely commit to road safety. What I contest, instead, is a culture that too often limits itself to commemorating the consequences without addressing their causes with sufficient determination. To institutions, to politics, to associations and international organizations that promote this occasion, I ask to open a public reflection on its denomination and to begin the necessary process to change it. Because institutional language too has an educational responsibility. It is not enough to remember who died. We must have the courage to recognize why they died. As long as we continue to attribute to the road what too often is the consequence of the incivility of those who travel it, I will continue not to recognize myself in this commemoration.

My chair will remain empty. Not to forget Tommaso, but to respect his memory and that of all the people whose lives have been taken away.

I do not ask to stop remembering the victims. I ask to stop attributing them to the road.

Marco Cavroso