By Samantha Serafica | Communications & Development Coordinator
Happy New Year! This past December, we marked the tenth anniversary of Vietnam’s landmark mandatory helmet law, requiring all road users to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. Over the ten years following passage of the law, AIP Foundation estimates that the country has saved $3.5 billion USD in medical costs, lost output, and pain and suffering as a result of preventing 502,774 head injuries and 15,302 fatalities from increased helmet use. To commemorate this historic legislation, together with FIA Foundation, we jointly published a new report, HEAD FIRST: A case study on Vietnam’s motorcycle helmet campaign. Since then, we have continued to implement effective and efficient strategies for creating safer roads with your support.
2018 is already shaping up to be a very successful year, and we look forward to sharing our exciting progress towards making roads safe for all.
Review Conference on 10 years of Vietnam’s national helmet law
15 December, 2017- Hanoi
A review of Vietnam’s national helmet law was organized by the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and AIP Foundation in response to the 10-year anniversary of the passage of the law. The event was a chance for delegates from ministries, departments, and provincial levels across Vietnam to conduct a comprehensive assessment of achievements, lessons learned, and continuing challenges after 10 years of implementing the national helmet law. Particular emphasis was placed on child helmet use and motorcycle helmet quality standards. The meeting also established next steps and objectives for enhancing the effectiveness of the national helmet law in order to continue to reduce fatalities and injuries in Vietnam.
The meeting gathered leaders from provincial Traffic Safety Offices, international organizations, embassies, motorcycle and helmet manufacturers, and media. Among the attendees were Nguyen Van The, Minister of Transport and Standing Vice Chairman of National Traffic Safety Committee; Dr. Khuat Viet Hung, Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee; Saul Billingsley, Executive Director of the FIA Foundation; and Greig Craft, President of AIP Foundation.
Read the full press release here.
View more photos from the conference here.
“Fun with Traffic Safety” Day celebrates a decade of Vietnam’s helmet law
15 December, 2017 – Hanoi, Vietnam
AIP Foundation and FIA Foundation celebrated a “Fun with Traffic Safety” extracurricular day to mark the tenth anniversary of Vietnam’s national helmet law on 15 December. Over 1,000 students, teachers, and staff joined distinguished guests and participants for a day full of extracurricular activities at Tien Phong Primary School, located in a suburb of Hanoi, to commemorate the anniversary of the law. Caryn McClelland, the Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy Hanoi, made a speech at the event.
“The United States Government and AIP Foundation share the common goal of promoting essential and life-saving road safety education to children throughout Vietnam,” said McClelland. “We’re also proud that AIP Foundation’s report and case study can serve as a road map for other countries experiencing rapid motorization, especially from motorbikes.”
The event had exciting road safety-related activities for students at Tien Phong Primary School, including a helmet handover, helmet sculpture painting, a helmet wearing contest, and a special performance by the National Vietnam Circus. The students participated in a flash mob dance to celebrate.
Read the full press release here.
View more photos from the event here.
Helmets for Families brings road safety from the hospital to the classroom
16 January, 2018 – Ho Chi Minh City
Helmets for Families is expanding its road safety education efforts to include engagement with health professionals for teachers, parents, and students. The program, which is supported by the global healthcare company Abbott and implemented by AIP Foundation, National Traffic Safety Committee, Ministry of Education and Training, Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee, and the Department of Education and Training, celebrated its fifth year with a helmet handover ceremony for students and teachers at Tan Thanh Dong Primary School in Ho Chi Minh City. At the ceremony, Dr. Le Phuoc Dai from Cho Ray Hospital raised the importance of wearing quality helmets properly for students and teachers.
This year, Helmets for Families is incorporating a new component: to engage school staff, parents, and students on a deeper level, health professionals carry road safety messages based on their experiences working with road crash victims. In commemoration of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims last November, key teachers and parents visited Cho Ray National Hospital to meet with patients who had been involved in road crashes and the health professionals who treated them. Their experiences have been shared to their peers and students throughout the program implementation accordingly.
In total, Helmets for Families will donate over 4,000 helmets to schools in Cu Chi District and Hoc Mon District of Ho Chi Minh City during the 2017-2018 school year.
Read the full press release here.
View more photos from the kick off ceremony here.
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