Dear friends and supporters, On November 17, World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was observed around the globe. Each year, more than 100 countries worldwide dedicate a day to mourn the millions of lives lost on the road and to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the police and ambulance personnel, doctors, nurses, and counselors who work to save lives after road traffic crashes. In the week leading up to World Day of Remembrance, we organized events in Vietnam and Cambodia to raise awareness about the tragedy of road traffic fatalities and injuries and share how they can be prevented through helmet use. This month we also launched a new project on GlobalGiving to raise funds for our traffic safety interventions to protect Cambodian youths on the road. Your donation to our project, Protect Cambodian Children from Brain Injury, will provide children with high-quality helmets, equip them with life-saving traffic safety knowledge and skills, and engage them in innovate road safety activities. Donate in the month of December and help us win a bonus award of $3,000 for our project from GlobalGiving! Read on to find out more. Kind regards, Mirjam Sidik
1. Global
2. Vietnam
3. Cambodia
4. Thailand
5. China6. Uganda
7. Tanzania
News update: Zimbabwe: Multi-Sectoral Effort to Curb Road Carnage A compelling opinion editorial argues that a multi-sector approach is necessary to curb the 'disturbing' number of deaths that occur on Zimbabwe's roads each day. This approach, the author argues, must be built around action-oriented, proactive approaches that achieve tangible results.
News update: Dealing with road deaths: global safety projects that are saving lives To mark World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims The Guardian highlighted road safety projects that are having a big impact around the world. The article featured our work on
Helmets for Kids in Vietnam along with innovative projects in Istanbul, Tanzania, and India.
AIP Foundation President and CEO attend UN Road Safety Collaboration conference in Abu Dhabi
From November 5th to 6th, AIP Foundation President and Founder Greig Craft and Chief Executive Officer Mirjam Sidik attended the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) conference hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Abu Dhabi. The UNRSC is an informal group that coordinates activities of the UN Decade of Action. Conference attendees heard updates from the Russian Federation and WHO on preparations for the UN General Assembly debate on road safety schedule for April 2014 and designated children's safety as the focus of UN Global Road Safety Week in 2015. Road Safety Fund Director Saul Billingsley presented the next stage of the 'Long Short Walk' post-2015 advocacy campaign for the inclusion of road safety in the UN's new Sustainable Development Goals. AIP Foundation Thailand Country Director presents at UNESCAP conference "Marketplace for Sustainable Transport Solutions"
From November 6th to 8th, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) held "Marketplace for Sustainable Transport Solutions," a conference in Bangkok that aimed to facilitate the sharing of the latest innovations and developments in the transport field. AIP Foundation Thailand Country Director Ratana Winter attended the conference and gave a presentation on AIP Foundation's work entitled "Making Roads Safe: Sustainable Injury Prevention for the Developing World" in the special session on the role of transport organizations in Southeast Asia.
Binh Chanh District primary school rallies with UPS to drive home the importance of helmets for children
On October 30, 2013, students, teachers, and parents of Vinh Loc 1 Primary School came together with The United Parcel Service (UPS), the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation, and local government officials to ride through Binh Chanh district, raising awareness of the importance of helmets that meet safety standards for children. The rally marked the launch of the third year of the Helmets for Kids initiative sponsored by The UPS Foundation with a donation of 3,966 helmets for students and teachers at six schools in Ho Chi Minh City. Nearly 1,500 children, parents, school officials, and local stakeholders, including Ho Chi Minh Traffic Safety Committee, Department of Education and Training, and Goodwill Ambassador Thanh Thuy, attended the kick-off ceremony at Vinh Loc 1 school, which was followed by a parade of motorcycles through the surrounding neighborhood. Rally participants carried flags bearing the message: "Children also need a helmet." This year's Helmets for Kids initiative will also include road safety trainings for teachers and students, outreach to parents, extracurricular activities, billboards, and the distribution of hand-fans and school timetables promoting child helmet use. Following the kick-off, 18 UPS volunteers conducted helmet kick-off ceremonies at 5 more primary schools, donating a total of 3,966 helmets to students and teachers. The project also coordinated two orientation workshops and teacher trainings for schools that are new to the project. These workshops gave 74 teachers the tools to educate children and parents about the importance of child helmet use and good road safety behaviors. These teachers will reach 3,745 students with this information. Two panel discussions with parents were also organized, reaching 2,164 parents. At these discussions the mothers of traffic victims shared their stories, and police shared information about the child helmet law, proper helmet use, and how to identify helmets that meets safety standards. Read the press release and view the photos. Johnson & Johnson conducts extra-curricular activities for 750 primary school students in Dong Nai
On November 1st, Johnson & Johnson, AIP Foundation and the Dong Nai Department of Education and Training conducted extra-curricular road safety activities and helmet use trainings for 750 students and teachers at Vo Thị Sau Primary School in Bien Hoa, Dong Nai province. Activities included picture puzzles and puppet shows to generate enthusiasm about helmet use and reinforce the importance of safe road behaviors. These extra-curricular activities for primary school students are being conducted as part of Johnson & Johnson's sponsorship of Helmets for Kids at 32 schools in three provinces: Ha TInh, Quang Binh and Dong Nai. Last month, Johnson & Johnson donated 3,848 helmets to all first graders and other students at the 32 project schools whose previously received helmets were damaged. Together, Johnson & Johnson and AIP Foundation have donated 21,476 helmets in two years of Helmets for Kids partnership. Read the press release and check out the photos. AIP Foundation, Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee, Department of Education and Training, and Traffic police observe World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
On November 15th, AIP Foundation, the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee, Department of Education and Training, Traffic Police, and Duc Huy company visited the families of 10 road traffic crash victims to increase awareness about road safety and to observe World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Crash Victims. Local and national media representatives accompanied these visits and asked the families to share their stories. Those visited included parents of children who were killed in road traffic crashes, and those who sustained brain damage as the result of serious head injury from crashes without helmets. Many of these individuals who sustained brain damage had previously been primary breadwinners for their families, their injuries have pushed their families into poverty and turned elderly parents into caregivers and primary breadwinners. On Friday November 22nd, representatives from AIP Foundation and the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee and Department of Education and Training recorded a talk show for Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV). The talk show, "In Retrospective – World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims," highlighted the activities organized to spread awareness about road safety by government, educators, and NGOs. The guests also discussed future plans for collaborating to improve road safety throughout Ho Chi Minh City. The talk show aired on December 2nd, 2013. Australian road safety expert ARRB Group returns to Ai Quoc Primary School in Hai Duong for helmet top-off donation
On November 18, ARRB Group, one of Australia's most trusted advisors regarding road safety technical input, returned to Ai Quoc Primary School in Hai Duong for a Helmets for Kids helmet top-off ceremony. During this top-off, ARRB donated 190 helmets to first graders, new teachers, and students in second through fifth grade who have outgrown, lost, or damaged the helmets that they previously received from the company's helmet handover last March. The ceremony was attended by road safety expert Paul Hillier, a National Technical Leader at ARRB, as a stop on his trip to Sichuan province in China to assess pedestrian safety around schools. Activities of the top-off ceremony included traffic safety and child helmet use training for students and teachers, student performances, and remarks by community, school, and sponsor representatives. A photo exhibition with a road safety theme was also organized along with a helmet training game teaching students about how to properly wear their new helmets. Read the press release and view the photos. AIP Foundation Deputy Executive Director presents at Road Safety workshop in Quang Ninh
On November 25th, AIP Foundation Deputy Executive Director Hoang Na Huong attended a road safety workshop about strengthening the enforcement of child helmet use in Quang Ninh. Na Huong presented about AIP Foundation's successful child helmet campaign in Vietnam and shared lessons learned, along with recommendations for innovative programs. The workshop was organized by the Vietnam Justice Support Association for the Poor, the Quang Ninh Traffic Safety Committee, and the Global Road Safety Partnership. Participants from the five Northern provinces under the Road Safety in 10 Countries (RS10) project (Nam Dinh, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Thai Binh and Quang Ninh) requested additional materials for their use to increase awareness about the importance of child helmet use. The workshop included an observation trip for participants to visit enforcement activities at two primary schools in Quang Ninh. Saigon Players stage motorcycle-themed comedy sketch show and donate proceeds to AIP Foundation
On November 29th and 30th the Saigon Players, an English language theater group in Ho Chi Minh City, performed "The Lifecycle of Saigon," a sketch comedy production about motorcycles. The productions celebrated the troupe's 10th anniversary with skits and songs about the ubiquity of motorcycles (and helmets) in Saigon's culture. The Saigon Players donated a portion of the show's proceeds to fund AIP Foundation's work in Vietnam.
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims Observed in Phnom Penh
On November 17, 2013, the 20th annual World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was observed around the world. Each year, more than 100 countries around the globe dedicate a day to mourn the millions of lives lost on the road and to acknowledge the efforts of the police and ambulance personnel, doctors, nurses, and counselors who work to save lives after road traffic crashes. In the week leading up to the World Day of Remembrance, the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation Cambodia organized events in schools around Phnom Penh to raise awareness about the tragedy of road traffic fatalities and injuries and spread information about how they can be prevented through helmet use. Read the press release. Helmets for Families sponsored by Manulife Cambodia brings students and parents road safety trainings in Phnom Penh
On November 13th and 14th, Helmets for Families sponsored by Manulife Cambodia organized road safety activities at two project schools in Phnom Penh. On November 13th, a parent training workshop on helmet use was conducted at Wat Preah Put Primary School, teaching 50 parents about the importance of helmet use for themselves and their children. The training was held as follow-up to Manulife's donation of 647 helmets to students, teachers, and mothers as part of the Helmets for Families program last month. On November 14th, extra-curricular road safety activities were organized for 100 students at Sampov Meas Primary School. These activities included drawing contests, pedestrian and bicyclist safety lessons, and helmet wearing speed tests. Activities and trainings are conducted after helmet donations to reinforce the importance of helmet use and good road safety behaviors and to ensure that students and parents continue to wear their helmets properly. AIP Foundation donates equipment to support road safety efforts by the Traffic Police of Cambodia
On November 21st, the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation donated road safety equipment to representatives of the National Police of Cambodia as part of the Cambodia Helmet Vaccine Initiative (CHVI). The donation was made to support the increased enforcement of the national helmet law as part of the government of Cambodia's commitment to meeting the goals of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. AIP Foundation's donation to police included a total of 1,000 helmets along with vital road safety equipment such as traffic cones and fences, radios, strobe lights, rechargeable lamps, and reflective vests. Next year, representatives of the Cambodian Police will embark on a study tour of Vietnam and Malaysia where they will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to enforce the motorcycle passenger, including child, helmet law, which is awaiting government approval. Along with this donation, AIP Foundation President and Founder Greig Craft and Chief Executive Officer Mirjam Sidik visited Phnom Penh to meet with H.E Lt. General Chan Kim Seng, Director of the Central Department of Public Order, General Commissariat of the National Police and H.E Hun Many, Parliamentarian and President of the Union of Youth Federation to discuss the recommendations of the joint statement "Motorcycle passengers, including children, must wear helmets." More than 100 stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, and international community have endorsed the joint statement urging the government to pass comprehensive helmet legislation. Earlier this month, CHVI's work on the joint statement was highlighted in the UN Secretary General's report Improving road safety as an example of how non-profit organizations and governments around the world are working together to increase road safety. Read the press release and check out the photos.
News update: RUTI warns of exodus Local tourism operators in Thailand expressed their concern after the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI) recently threatened to cancel charter flights to Thailand during the coming high season if the country does not act to increase road safety. The announcement came after a major road accident in Thailand in mid-November injured more than 30 Russian tourists.
Helmets for Kids sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bangkok South organizes extra-curricular activities for two preschools in Thailand
On November 13, AIP Foundation conducted extra-curricular activities at two preschools in Pattana and Bor 3 Thailand. These activities were organized as part of the Helmets for Kids program sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bangkok South, which donated 175 helmets to students of the two schools in March of 2013. These schools were selected due to their proximity to busy highways and scarcity of community resources. The activities included general road safety training, lessons about the importance of proper helmet use, and road safety games. These were the last activities to be organized through the year-long Helmets for Kids program at these two schools. Teachers and school administrators have been provided with the skills and tools necessary to maintaining high helmet use rates and reinforce road safety lessons for their students. Check out the photos. Sigma Elevator donates 160 helmets to at-risk preschool students in Bangkok
On November 14, 2013, Sigma Elevator donated 160 high-quality helmets to students and teachers of Ban Kookot preschool in Bangkok through a collaboration with AIP Foundation on the Helmets for Kids program. The donation was made during a kick-off ceremony at the school which was attended by Sigma Elevator VIPs. The ceremony included road safety-themed performances by students, remarks by representatives of Sigma and AIP Foundation, a training on proper helmet use, and road safety games. A teacher training was organized on November 11th before the helmet handover ceremony to give teachers the tools to encourage helmet use and good road safety behaviors throughout the year. Read the press release and check out the photos. Extra-curricular activities organized at the Wat Chaimongkol school as follow-up to British Embassy Bangkok's Helmets for Kids sponsorship
On November 15th, the first extra-curricular activities were conducted under the British Embassy Bangkok's sponsorship of the Helmets for Kids program at the Wat Chaimongkol school, located in the Rong Muang sub-district of Bangkok province. These activities were organized as follow-up to the donation of 230 helmets which took place on October 28th. During these activities, students from primary and pre-school had the chance to learn about road safety, how to walk safely, how to wear helmets correctly, and the importance of regular helmet use. Road safety lessons were reinforced with games and memorization of the meanings of traffic signs. High school students had a discussion about reasons why students do not wear helmets, road safety signs in Thai and English, and road safety statistics. Students performed skits about the importance of helmet use, and the possible consequences of not wearing a helmet. Read the press release and check out the photos. AIP Foundation Thailand attends police planning meeting for increased road safety efforts during the holidays
On November 20th, AIP Foundation Thailand attended a meeting with the Royal Thai Police about how to keep roads safe during the New Year holiday. The meeting was attended by police officers, road-safety organizations, other traffic sectors, and other sub-committees of the Royal Thai Police including the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the Department of Transport, and the Department of Highways. Three key factors were discussed in order to celebrate the upcoming New Year safely: preventing drinking and driving, curbing speeding, and increasing helmet use.
Road safety technical expert visits Walk Wise project in China to design road modification manual
From November 10th to 15th, technical expert Paul Hillier of ARRB Group visited Sichuan, China to help stakeholders in the Walk Wise project region design a road modification manual for the local community. The manual will detail interventions that increase road safety by making changes in the road environment of high risk areas. Simple and cost-effective ideas that the community can implement include creative road signs, speed bumps, crossing guards, and no-parking zones. The manual is part of the second phase of the Walk Wise project, established by AIP Foundation and Chevron, which aims to provide road safety education and promote a safer road environment for children in Sichuan.
AIP Foundation meets with key Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative partners in Kampala
AIP Foundation's International Development Director Lotte Brondum traveled to Kampala, Uganda to meet with several of the Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative's key partners, including CrossRoads, sponsor of UHVI's 2013-2014 "Obulamu Bwe Bugagga-Wear a helmet!" campaign, and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). The KCCA recently implemented a registration process for boda boda (motorcycle taxi) operators in Kampala, and has thus far registered nearly 60,000 boda boda operators throughout the city. In support of this process, UHVI will provide road safety education and helmets to the first 2,000 boda boda operators who register, as part of the 2013-2014 "Obulamu Bwe Bugagga-Wear a helmet!" campaign. At the high-level meeting, the KCCA was keen to hear lessons from AIP Foundation's experience with helmet wearing rates in Vietnam and how these lessons might be further applied to Uganda. Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative hosts stakeholder workshop
The Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative hosted a stakeholder workshop in Kampala to reflect on UHVI's activities and begin scaling the public awareness campaign in 2013-2014. Many key players in road safety attended the workshop, including Mr. Robert KyuKyu, Manager of Strategy and Business Development of the Kampala Capital City Authority; Dr. Myers Lugemwa, International Health Specialist and Chairperson of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC); and representatives from the Ministry of Transport and Works, the Automobile Association Uganda, CrossRoads, boda boda associations, and other agencies. NRSC Chairperson Dr. Myers Lugemwa, a surgeon in Kampala, mentioned that Uganda has the 4th highest crash rate in Africa, and that he typically operates on six heads a day due to road crash trauma. "Why operate when you can prevent?" he said in support of UHVI's emphasis on preventative measures like road safety education and helmet wearing.
News update: Tanzania: Bodaboda Notorious for Road Accidents, Says Traffic Police Chief The Tanzania Traffic Police will embark on a countrywide road safety education campaign led by the National Road Safety Ambassador, Mr. Athumani Hamisi. The campaign will run through February and include messages about key road safety hazards, including reckless driving, speeding, overtaking, negligence and drinking-and-driving.
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