Ghent intersection closed for 253 seconds to mark 253 road deaths in Flanders last year
In Ghent, around 50 people blocked the intersection of the N60 and De Pintelaan for 253 seconds on Sunday morning to mark the International Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. “Every second symbolises one of the 253 people who lost their lives on Flemish roads last year,” the organising non-profit organisations said.
The action was organised by Rondpunt, Parents of Children Killed in Accidents – SAVE, Over-Hoop and Getuigen Onderweg, together with the rehabilitation centre of Ghent University Hospital, the city of Ghent and the local police.
© BELGA VIDEO NICOLAS DE COCKER
Actress Maaike Cafmeyer spoke about how her life, and the lives of those around her, were changed by serious traffic accidents. “Twenty years ago, my parents were blinded by the sun and hit a concrete mixer at an intersection. We didn't know if they would make it. I'm the eldest of three children. That had an incredible impact on me. I was only 22 years old. I thought, literally and figuratively: this intersection is going to completely change the direction of my life. Fortunately, my mother and father survived.”
Road fatalities falling but still far too high
Road fatalities in Flanders have fallen in recent years, from 310 in 2021 to 253 in 2024, the same number recorded in 2020. Compared with twenty years ago, the number of deaths has more than halved, down from 588 in 2005. Yet every victim is one too many, the organisations stress, adding that attention should also be paid to those who are injured.
“You carry the consequences of an accident with you for the rest of your life,” said the mother of a son who was hit by a car 17 years ago. “He hovered between life and death for a while and underwent multiple head surgeries. He has acquired a brain injury (ABI), which is irreversible. We still have our son, but he's become a completely different person who needs daily care, and many people underestimate that.”
Ghent’s alderman for mobility, Joris Vandenbroucke, pointed to the city’s new road safety campaign, “There are no excuses,” and said Ghent is investing more in safer streets. Meanwhile, Groen is calling for changes to the traffic infrastructure on Vlaamsekaai, where two people were killed in a collision during the night of 30 to 31 October. “This commemoration should remind our city and its administrators that we must do everything we can to prevent these tragedies in the future,” said Bert Misplon, Groen’s faction leader in Ghent.
#FlandersNewsService | People attending the International Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday, 16 November, 2025 in Gent. Traffic in Ghent at the intersection of De Pintelaan and the N60 will be halted for 253 seconds to commemorate the 253 people who lost their lives in traffic accidents last year. © BELGA PHOTO NICHOLAS DE COCKER
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