September 22nd 2008, 5:30 PM
Square Phillips (map)
International Carfree Day
Experience car freedom!
A die-in is a symbolical, theatrical event, much like a sit-in or a bed-in. The main difference is that its participants, unlike in a sit- or bed-in (where people sit or sleep), mock death at the intersection of two streets. They are also invited to bring along props such as fake blood, bandages, gas masks and the like to add realism to the scene. The event illustrates the incredible number of deaths directly or indirectly caused by cars, in Montreal and around the world.
Worrysome death toll, sound and air pollution, colonisation of public space, urban sprawl, individual and collective financial pressures, ... Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists themselves are all victims of the many consequences of car culture. Year after year, more cars are added to the streets of our city, while at the same time the health and safety issues related to our dependancy to automobiles get worse. It is time that we montrealers take action for to ensure that the Montreal of tomorrow will be safer, healthier and more human.
WORLD « During the course of the 20th century, road accidents became one of the leading causes of death and morbidity in the world, killing or seriously injuring over 20 million people each year. »
QUEBEC « In Quebec, road accidents account for over 50 000 injured people each year, of whom 600 to 700 die. »
MONTREAL In Montreal, cars account for « over 12 000 traffic accident injury victims every year including, on average, five pedestrians per day. » Almost 50% of the dead are pedestrians, and « a little more than 1500 deaths every year can be attributed to atmospheric pollution. »
Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal. 2006 : 2006 Annual Report on the Health of the population: Urban Transportation, a Question of Health. Montréal, Direction de la santé publique, 132 p.
Join the Montréal à Vélo (MAV) mailing list - MAV is the cyclist collective that organizes the Die-In and much more - to be informed of its activities/meetings and to receive other pertinent cyclist news. Your email adress will obviously not be used for any other use and will not be communicated to anybody else.
Download, print and post the official poster (11” x 17”)
In French (JPEG - 4,6 Mb) In English (JPEG - 4,5 Mb)
Download, print and distribute the official flyer (7,5" x 10")
In French (JPEG - 2,7 Mb) In English (JPEG - 2,2 Mb)
See videos and photos of the 1976 and 2006 editions and get more information
