Despite higher safety standards in the automotive world, the number of people who lost their lives in road accidents increased dramatically in 2023. People are simply not aware of the potential dangers and the need for not only safer roads but safer driving, so tragedies continue to occur.

By developing a new idea, we wanted to raise awareness around this topic and prevent accidents, while simultaneously honouring the victims.

What if a victim of a traffic accident could save lives? Memorial Route was more than just a campaign, it was the start of a movement – one that uses technology to empower relatives of road victims to help prevent future accidents.

The Google Maps “Add Missing Place” feature is usually used to highlight places of interest and businesses – until now. We hijacked it and turned it into one that people can use to create digital memorials.

Transforming Spain’s traffic victims into heroes, while honouring them at the same time, Memorial route raises awareness and, most importantly, helps prevent future accidents and save lives.

The PR strategy for Memorial Route revolves around the relatives affected by road accidents sharing personal stories to generate media coverage and raise awareness.

The initiative began by engaging families who lost loved ones in road accidents and inviting them to share their personal stories and locations. These stories would serve as powerful testimonials that humanize the issue of road safety and evoke empathy from the public. By focusing on leading news channels (TV, newspapers, online press), we could ensure maximum visibility and impact.

With the victims' relatives acting as spokespersons, their background stories and interviews provided a platform for the families to share their experiences, advocate for better road safety measures, and promote the Memorial Route initiative.

Additionally, the PR strategy extended to social media platforms, where the personal stories and advocacy efforts of the families are amplified through dedicated posts and videos.

On the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Traffic Accidents, StopAccidentes launched Memorial Route. But its impact stretches far beyond a single day and has since become a digital movement.

Using Google Maps – the world’s most popular navigation tool – we empowered the relatives of accident victims to add a ‘Missing Place’ at the exact location of the accident and name it after their loved one.

When drivers see these pins on their route, they’re confronted with the reality of road accidents and the human lives affected: a powerful incentive to drive more cautiously and adhere to traffic laws, ultimately preventing future accidents.

To support the campaign, we created a website to collect all these tributes in one online memorial. The real stories of Natalia, Pablo and so many others are more powerful than any traffic campaign and can save more lives.

Memorial route broke the silence around the reality of road accidents. Thousands of people have placed pins on Google Maps so far, all marking the exact spot they lost a loved one. By sharing the victim’s stories, the families are spreading their messages and raising awareness for safer streets.

This movement forced people to see the tragic reality around road safety and the campaign became a widely discussed topic all over the media in Spain - on TV, the radio, on social media and in newspapers. It even sparked a debate within the Spanish Parliament around the issue of safer roads.

The campaign generated 315 million impressions and 5.1 million in earned media… all on a budget of 0 euros. But most importantly, Memorial Route has become an open platform for everyone – in Spain and across the globe – to help save lives.