ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Empty pairs of shoes will serve as a reminder of lives lost on North Carolina roads when law enforcement officers, safety advocates and community members gather in Asheville on Sunday, Nov. 15.

The remembrance comes as traffic deaths have declined in Buncombe County and across the state. But even with fewer fatalities, the numbers are a reminder of the lives lost and the families left behind.

Thirty-six people died in traffic crashes in Buncombe County in 2025, down from 47 the year before, according to the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles’ annual Traffic Crash Facts report. That’s a decrease of more than 23 percent.

The improvement follows two particularly deadly years on Buncombe County roads. The county recorded 44 traffic deaths in 2023 and 47 in 2024, the highest annual total in the DMV’s figures dating to 2015. Despite last year’s decline, the county’s death toll remained above its 10-year annual average of 33.

Across North Carolina, 1,524 people died in traffic crashes in 2025, a 12 percent decrease from the previous year and the lowest total in five years. Another 107,076 people were injured.

Gov. Josh Stein has proclaimed Sunday, Nov. 15, World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in North Carolina, part of an international observance honoring those killed or seriously injured in crashes.

The Asheville gathering begins at 1 p.m. at HomeTrust Park, 30 Buchanan Place. It’s one of six remembrance events planned across the state.

Organizers with the North Carolina Alliance for Safe Transportation, or NCAST, plan to display empty pairs of shoes as a reminder of those killed on the state’s roads.

“We’re heartened by that drop,” NCAST Board Chair Tiffany Wright said of the statewide decline in fatalities. “But you look at all those empty shoes, and you think about the people, including children, lost to carelessness on our roads, and you have to conclude: We can and must do better.”

The latest DMV report shows that speeding was a factor in 22 percent of North Carolina’s traffic deaths in 2025. Alcohol-related crashes accounted for 23.6 percent of fatalities.

Seat belt use remains another concern. Of the 1,035 people killed while occupying vehicles equipped with seat belts, 451 were not wearing one, according to the report.

Overall, North Carolina recorded 279,270 traffic crashes last year, a 1.9 percent decrease from 2024.

In his proclamation, Stein emphasized that traffic crashes are preventable and urged drivers to do their part.

“We all bear responsibility to focus, drive carefully and keep each other safe,” Stein said.

The Asheville event is expected to bring together public officials, law enforcement officers, community members and NCAST Teen Ambassadors. Some of the young ambassadors are expected to share personal stories of loss.

Similar gatherings are planned Sunday in Lillington, Greenville, Wilmington and Winston-Salem. Another event is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, in Greensboro.

NCAST has also contacted more than 250 houses of worship and faith communities across the state, asking them to remember traffic crash victims and their families in prayers and public messages.

World Day of Remembrance is observed internationally on the third Sunday in November. Along with honoring those who have died, the day is meant to encourage safer driving and prevent more families from experiencing the same loss.

The Asheville gathering is free and open to the public.