By Carolyn Smith-Lin | Development Coordinator
Last month, May 11th marked a big day for road safety – countries around the world celebrated the beginning of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020! The goal of the Decade is to stop the epidemic of road traffic crash fatalities by 2020; every day, 3,500 people leave home and never return because they have been suddenly, violently, killed in a road crash. This is not inevitable. This Decade is an opportunity for everyone – governments and local communities, companies and individuals – to make our streets safer wherever we live.
AIP Foundation supported launching activities in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Uganda. In Vietnam, Australian Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms. Quentin Bryce, joined our Helmets for Kids helmet donation and education project in Hanoi. We shared a documentary featuring Michelle Yeoh on the burden of road traffic crashes and what we can do about it in Cambodia. In Thailand, goodwill ambassadors led a Decade motorcycle parade around Bangkok, giving away t-shirts, posters, and information on road safety. All of these activities had one aim: to spread the word that we must act to make our roads safer.
It’s time we start thinking about road crashes like HIV/AIDS and other public health crises. We need to build awareness. Road crashes and their consequent carnage are completely preventable; 95% of road crashes are the result of human error. To build awareness, the UN Decade has designed a tag, symbolizing the wearer’s commitment to safer roads. Check out who has already shown their support here.
As a part of an international movement to stop road traffic crashes, fatalities, and injuries, AIP Foundation is more hopeful and active than ever. And it is thanks to the support of our friends all over the world. Thanks again for believing and acting.
Plus, check out our updated projects! To give you a better idea of what AIP Foundation is up to, we’ve split our activities in Vietnam into two projects: “Make Child Helmets The Norm in Vietnam” for our public awareness activities, and “Give a Vietnamese Child a Helmet; Save a Life” for our primary school education programs. Stay tuned for more on Cambodia and Thailand.
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