The high number of road deaths on Toronto streets this year has prompted a group of grieving relatives to start up a campaign that will aim to improve traffic safety.

The advocacy group, called Friends and Families for Safe Streets (FFSS), announced their initiative Tuesday morning at outside city hall while telling reporters stories of how their loved ones have died.

One member, Kasia Breiegmann-Samson, said her husband was killed while riding his bike to meet his friends for breakfast in November 2012.

“Tom's death was entirely preventable,” Breiegmann-Samson said. “The hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries on Toronto's streets were all preventable.”

Toronto is on its way to having one of the worst years on record for traffic fatalities. So far this year, 65 people (motorists, pedestrians and cyclists) have died on the road, according to Toronto Police. Last year saw 65 road deaths all year.

The group told reporters they plan to work with police, transit authorities and other officials to create better city street design, enforce safety laws and improve traffic culture that influences how the public views serious injuries and fatalities.

Another goal of the group is to provide a “safe and supportive place for adults who have lost loved ones and for survivors of road violence,” said David Stark.

Stark recounted how his wife Erica died in 2014.

“She was standing on a sidewalk on the corner of Midland (Avenue) and Guilder (Drive) in Scarborough, waiting to cross the intersection,” he said, “when a minivan jumped the curb and struck her.”

Stark said he wished a support group was available for his family when his wife was killed.

The group will meet Nov. 20 to begin working on their plan.

City councillors Mary-Margaret McMahon and Mike Layton were on hand at the news conference to express their support.

With files from Natalie Johnson