Dear friends and supporters, In April, I travelled to Indonesia, along with 600 road safety stakeholders from throughout Asia, to call for the inclusion of safe and sustainable transport in the post-2015 development agenda. In May 2013, the United Nations Secretary General's High Level Panel for Post-2015 will submit their final recommendations for a new development framework to replace the Millenium Development Goals (MDG). The MDGs did not include road safety, but we have a chance to advocate for its inclusion for the post-2015 agenda. You can help! The UN has created a platform to allow people worldwide to influence the new agenda. To ensure road safety is included, vote for "better transport and roads" as one of your top six priorities at the My World 2015 website. Please read on to find out how our teams throughout the world are working to make road safety a top priority. Kind regards, Mirjam Sidik
1. Global
2. Vietnam
3. Cambodia
4. Thailand
5. China
News UpdatePedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners – Each year, more than 270,000 pedestrians lose their lives on the world's roads, while millions are left with injuries or permanent disabilities. Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners, jointly developed by the World Health Organization, the FIA Foundation, the Global Road Safety Partnership and the World Bank, and many experts from around the world, provides practical information on how to plan, implement and evaluate a pedestrian safety program.
Global Road Safety Partnership focuses on "vulnerable road users" at annual seminar in Manila
The Global Road Safety Partnership Asia Seminar took place from April 2-3 in Manila, Philippines. AIP Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mirjam Sidik, Director of Programs (Vietnam) Nguyen Dieu Nuong, and Country Manager (China) Xiaoyan Xu presented at the seminar, which focused on the theme 'Targeting Vulnerable Road Users.' Approximately 200 road safety experts from around the world attended the event. Check out the photos!
More than 120 participants from 70 countries joined the third Global Meeting of NGOs Advocating for Road Safety and Road Victims in Antalya, Turkey from April 4-5. International Development Director Lotte Brondum presented on AIP Foundation's child helmet campaign in Vietnam and attended the first General Assembly for the Alliance member NGOs. Check out the photos!
AIP Foundation presents at the APEC Transportation Working Group Meeting in Ho Chi Minh City
The Vietnam Ministry of Transport chaired the 37th bi-annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Transportation Working Group Meeting from April 8-12 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 220 participants from 21 countries gathered to discuss issues related to aviation, maritime traffic, road traffic, transport security, and energy. AIP Foundation President Greig Craft presented on road safety campaigns in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand and AIP Foundation's strategic five-pillar model to reduce road injuries and fatalities around the world. 600 road safety stakeholders meet in Bali to map out the future of sustainable transport
AIP Foundation CEO Mirjam Sidik joined 600 representatives from governments, international organizations, the scientific community, NGOs, and the business sector for the 7th Regional Environmental Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum in Asia. The Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Environment of Indonesia, the Ministry of Environment of Japan, and The United Nations Centre for Regional Development organized the EST Forum concurrently with the Global Consultation on Sustainable Transport in the Post-2015 Development Agenda in Bali, Indonesia from April 23 to 25. The three-day meeting culminated in the adoption of the "Bali Declaration on Vision Three Zeros – Zero Congestion, Zero Pollution and Zero Accidents towards Next Generation Transport Systems in Asia" calling for safe and sustainable transport as part of the post-2015 Development Agenda.
News UpdateParents must ensure helmets for children – Parents who drive motorbikes, you've been warned. Get a helmet for your child, or else you will face a fine of VND100,000 to VND200,000 (US$4.8-9.5), no excuses allowed. That's part of the strategy taken by the national campaign "Children Also Need a Helmet" being carried out from April to June in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da nang.
Three HCMC secondary schools host Zooming on Road Safety photo exhibitions
42 students at Phuoc Long, Tang Nhon Phu and Tran Quoc Toan secondary schools presented 126 photo submissions to their friends to share the safe and unsafe situations they face on the road. Zooming on Road Safety is sponsored by Intel and co-led by AIP Foundation and the local Department of Education and Training at three pilot schools in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo contest finalists will have their work exhibited at a family event on May 2 at Suoi Tien Park in District 9. Intel and its employee volunteers have also organized traffic safety games for and distributed informational booklets to 3,720 students. Check out the photos! 'Don't Speed' campaign pilot illustrates the consequences of risky driving behavior
To raise awareness among Vietnamese youth of the danger of speeding, Young & Rubicam (Y&R) Vietnam Advertising Group joined forces with AIP Foundation to launch the "Don't speed" campaign in Ho Chi Minh City. Fallen motorcycle models installed at three urban locaitons, including universities and office buildings, illustrate the parallels of crashing at 67 kilometers per hour and falling from a five-story building. Y&R also distributed 500 flyers to young people with information on safe driving behavior. Check out the photos and video! AIP Foundation joins the global Long Short Walk campaign in Vietnam
Students from Phong Phu Primary School in District 9 of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and AIP Foundation participated in the Long Short Walk campaign on April 9 to raise awareness in communities about the importance of making our road safer for the most vulnerable among us, especially pedestrians. According to the World Health Organization, pedestrians account for 22 percent of road traffic fatalities around the world. This May the UN marks its second Global Road Safety Week by focusing on pedestrians. In line with this theme, the Long Short Walk has been launched as part of the Zenani Mandela Campaign, led by the Mandela Family, the Make Roads Safe Campaign, and the Road Safety Fund. Long Short Walk activities are being carried out in partnership with the WHO, UNEP, and NGOs around the world to draw attention to the urgent need to better protect vulnerable road users and to spark action on the measures needed to do so. By joining this campaign, the public raises awareness and educates communities on walking safer and smarter by contributing photos and video of local events on Facebook and the Long Short Walk website. Click here to view photos and video from Phong Phu Primary School! "Children also need a helmet" campaign featured on HTV weekend program talk-show
HTV9's Sciences and Life program hosted a talk-show about the "Children also need a helmet" campaign activities, including enforcement, in Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City. The program featured high-level representatives from the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee and Department of Education and Training, as well as AIP Foundation Director of Programs Nguyen Dieu Nuong. Participants discussed their efforts to increase child helmet use and eradicate substardard helmets. The program also aired AIP Foundation's award-winning documentary "“In Retrospect" on April 28. Check out the documentary! Johnson & Johnson expands
Helmets for Kids to twelve schools in Central and Southern Vietnam
Johnson & Johnson is returning to Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, and Dong Nai provinces to donate motorcycle helmets to nearly 7,000 primary school students and teachers at twelve schools in its second year sponsoring AIP Foundation's Helmets for Kids program. Last year, 49 students and one teacher experienced road crashes and in most instances suffered less severe injuries due to the helmet donation, including a fourth-grade student from Ha Tinh Province who was thrown head-first to the ground by a crash and survived because of his helmet. Helmets were handed over to the students in each province at ceremonies from April 16 to 23. Nearly 2,000 teachers, students, parents, local authorities, and partners attended the kick-off events, including representatives of the local Department of Education and Training, Traffic Safety Committee, Transport Department, Traffic Police, Women's and Youth Unions, and People's Committee. These local partners collaborate with schools during Helmets for Kids implementation and afterward to maintain high levels of helmet use. Helmets for Kids will also conduct helmet observations, teacher training, crash monitoring, extracurricular activities, and communication with students' parents to reinforce their understanding of helmet use and encourage them to put helmets on their children. In addition, 32 billboards will be installed encouraging helmet wearing among children at former and current target schools. At the beginning of the next academic year, more than 3,000 new students at the total 32 target schools will also receive helmets. Read the press release in English and Vietnamese! Check out the photos! More than 150,000 informational packets and helmet vouchers being distributed
Throughout April and May, AIP Foundation and the Departments of Education and Training in Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City are holding information sessions for and handing out flyers, school timetables, and helmet vouchers to more than 150,000 teachers, parents, and students across the country. 99 new billboards are being installed in front of schools, main roads and public places to encourage helmet use for children.
News UpdateCambodia gears up for Lunar New Year celebration – Cambodia is preparing to celebrate its traditional New Year — the Year of the Snake, which will fall on April 14-16. People have begun to leave the country's capital, Phnom Penh, for their hometowns in various provinces in order to enjoy the holiday period with their relatives. Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday blessed his compatriots with best wishes on the occasion and urged all vehicle drivers to drive carefully in order to avoid traffic accidents on the occasion.
Cambodia observes National Road Safety Week 2013
Cambodian National Road Safety Week from April 7 to 14 offered road safety stakeholders and the government an opportunity to strengthen public awareness raising activities, particularly to do with improved helmet use and the upcoming passenger helmet legislation. Kim Pagna, AIP Foundation Country Director, delivered a speech on behalf of all road safety stakeholders at and donated 200 helmets to participants of the government's National Road Safety Week event on April 7. We also organized a radio talkshow on local stations to bring together speakers from relevant government bodies to promote National Road Safety Week and to reduce road crash fatalities during Cambodian New Year. On the roadside and at schools, the public engages in talk to improve helmet safety
Throughout April, traffic police have partnered with AIP Foundation to stop 1,419 motorcycles whose passengers were not wearing helmets, as part of an innovative approach to raising awareness around the country. Though driver helmet wearing rates in Cambodia are more than 60 percent, fewer than 10 percent passengers wear helmets. Once stopped, AIP Foundation informed riders about the importance of wearing helmets and the upcoming passenger helmet law through discussion, flyers, and multimedia advertisements. Volunteers also requested riders to pledge their commitment to wearing a helmet as a passenger. Traffic police and AIP Foundation will continue this project throughout May at checkpoints along several major roads leading from Phnom Penh to outer provinces. Street-based awareness has been accompanied by public discussions organized at universities in Phnom Penh to raise awareness about the tragic impact of road traffic crashes in Cambodia, traffic laws, and the life-saving importance of helmet use. AIP Foundation also informed students about a small grant scheme, offered from May to December 2013, to fund road safety awareness activities at their universities. High level government officials, including Major General Kim Yideth, Deputy Secretary General of the National Road Safety Committee Chhuon Vuon, and more than 600 students have participated in the discussions. Print and social media add momentum to AIP Foundation's call for passenger helmets
More than 80 concerned stakeholders have endorsed a policy recommendation entitled, "Motorcycle passengers, including children, must wear helmets," which was submitted to the Minister of Transport on January 10, 2013. In partnership with Handicap International and the Coalition for Road Safety, we are now spreading our message directly to road users through print ads and social media. From April 12 to 26, the joint policy recommendation was printed in the Rasmei Kampuchea, Cambodia Daily, Phnom Penh Post Koh Santepheap Daily, and Kampuchea Thmey newspapers. Two newly launched Facebook applications empower users to alert their networks of family and friends of the importance of helmets for the whole family and to take action themselves by signing a petition in support of the swift passage of the passenger helmet law. After just three days, the apps already reached more the 1,800 Facebook users.
News UpdateFinal count on Songkran slaughter – Thailand's highway carnage over the seven deadly days of Songkran, 11 to 17 April, reached 321 fatalities surpassing the 2012 toll by 0.31%, or just one death. The Road Safety Centre reported 321 road fatalities over the seven days, up from 320 recorded during the festival last year.
TV5 and Nation TV feature AIP Foundation's school-based and public awareness activities in Thailand
Dr. Yongyut Miyaraap of TV5 interviewed AIP Foundation Country Director Ratanawadee H. Winther on March 15 to learn about the Helmets for Kids program in Thailand, particularly in Udonthani province with UPS funding. Ms. Winther aimed to remind the audience about the effects of road crashes for themselves and their families. In addition, Ms. Winther was interviewed on Nation TV. She discussed AIP Foundation's efforts to raise road safety awareness and to build a culture of safety from a young age. Ms. Winther also addressed the road traffic situation and law enforcement in Vietnam. Check out the video! Imperial Queen's Park Hotel co-organizes the "Drive Safely during for Songkran" campaign
A parade of more than 60 motorcyclists traveled along Sukhumvit and Rama IV roads to help spread the message about helmet wearing and sensible driving during the Thai New Year 'Songkran' holiday. The "Drive Safely during Songkran" campaign, jointly organized by AIP Foundation and the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel, aimed to decrease the devastating number of people killed and injured due to heightened traffic density and water festival activites at Songkran. Read the press release and check out the photos! Greig Craft meets with Rotary Club – Bangkok South
AIP Foundation President Greig Craft delivered a presentation at the Weekly Lunch Meeting of Rotary Club - Bangkok South. He discussed AIP Foundation's work and mission and reported on the positive results of Bung Rama 9 projects sponsored by Rotary. More than 60 participants attended the regular luncheon of the Rotary South.
News UpdateHong Kong traffic police launch pedestrain education activities – Through the enforcement of road safety regulations and distributing educational flyers, the police correct unsafe behaviors such as ignoring stop lights, failing to use pedestrain ficilities, and climbing the fences along the roads
Updated
Walk Wise curriculum shared with pilot schools
The pedestrian safety curriculum developed for the two Walk Wise pilot schools in Gaoqiao, China has been updated based on feedback received through the mid-term evaluation and stakeholder workshop. The new curriculum includes more games and discussion-based activities, as well as new teaching tools. The pilot schools have received 1,080 new student workbooks, 30 teacher workbooks, 60 posters, 270 stickers, and 26 sets of traffic sign boards. Teachers will participate in training for the updated curriculum in May.
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