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Global Newsletter August 2015 |
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Dear Friends and Supporters, Exciting news to share this month – the United Nations finalized its Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals and chose to include key road safety targets. This landmark gain comes after years of advocacy and provides an important framework for our global efforts. Also this month, the BMJ (British Medical Journal), one of the world's most influential medical journals, officially published a paper titled "Helmets for Kids: evaluation of a school-based helmet intervention in Cambodia”. Co-authored by Mr. David Ederer, MPH, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Truong Bui, MD. MPH, from AIP Foundation, the research highlights the combination of helmet provision and road safety education as a methodology to increase helmet use among children. Read the abstract here. As high-level support grows, AIP Foundation’s grassroots activities continue. In August, we held educational activities that engaged a diverse audience, ranging from students and teachers to police and local officials. With the new school year right around the corner, there’s no better time for communities to brush up on essential road safety knowledge. Together, we can ensure that our kids get to and from school without danger. Please see below to read more on AIP Foundation’s activities and achievements throughout the month. Now you can also follow us on Instagram @makingroadssafe to stay up-to-date on our work. Kind regards, Mirjam Sidik
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Table of Contents |
Global |
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Vietnam |
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Cambodia |
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Thailand |
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China |
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Tanzania |
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Uganda |
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Employment Opportunities
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Global |
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Photo of the month
Many adults wear helmets in Vietnam to avoid fines, but most children still travel unprotected. Globally, youth remain at the highest risk for road death. AIP Foundation is seeking a strong coalition of partners to fund the distribution of 2.5 million helmets within Vietnam and Cambodia. This initiative could save the two governments $78 million USD. Have a relevant road safety photo? Tag AIP Foundation on Facebook, Twitter, or on Instagram (@makingroadssafe) for a chance to have your photo featured here! |
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“Of critical importance for humanity”: UN development agenda includes road safety targets in final text
Marking a milestone in the campaign for safer roads, the United Nations (UN) finalized the text of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and included two road safety targets: • In the Health Goal, a specific stand-alone target to reduce road traffic fatalities by 50% by 2020; and • In the Cities Goal, a target on safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable urban transport. The SDGs, 17 in total, set out an extraordinary agenda for the next 15 years: to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change. Recognition of road safety as essential for global development comes after years of advocacy efforts, coordinated by FIA Foundation in partnership with a wide coalition. As part of the effort, AIP Foundation helped to collect over 500,000 signatures for the #SaveKidsLives campaign, credited with influencing decision-makers in drafting the SDGs. To read more about the road safety targets, click here. To read the full text of the agenda, click here. |
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The BMJ publishes AIP Foundation’s paper on Helmets for Kids
"Helmets for Kids: evaluation of a school-based helmet intervention in Cambodia”, co-authored by Mr. David Ederer, MPH, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Truong Bui, MD. MPH, from AIP Foundation, has been officially published by The BMJ (British Medical Journal). The paper analyses helmet use before and after implementation of Helmets for Kids, AIP Foundation’s school-based helmet distribution and road safety program in Cambodia. At program target schools, observed helmet use increased from below 1% to nearly 90%, indicating that such intervention can have significant impact. Joining the global body of knowledge on injury prevention, the paper’s methodology and conclusions help to make road safety more achievable world-wide. Read the full abstract here. |
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Related news: Kerry sees U.S.-Vietnamese ties deepening
The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, visited Vietnam to commemorate the 20th anniversary of normalized U.S.-Vietnam relations. Kerry’s visit came after he attended meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Malaysia. In a previous visit in 2000, then-Senator Kerry launched AIP Foundation’s Helmets for Kids program in Hanoi. Read more here about Kerry’s latest visit. |
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Related news: First-ever road safety hackathon takes place in India
More than 200 tech-savvy minds gathered in Kerala for India’s first-ever road safety hackathon, organized with support from the World Bank. The purpose of the event was to leverage the ICT sector in developing new software/hardware solutions to mitigate road crashes in the country. Focus was given to four areas critical to road safety: engineering; enforcement; education; and, emergency care or post-crash management. A representative of the World Bank commended the success of the initiative and indicated plans to replicate it in other parts of the globe. To read more about the event and its winners, click here. |
Vietnam |
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PACCOM gala celebrates 20 years of normalized U.S.-Vietnam ties
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of normalized U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic relations, the People's Aid Co-ordinating Committee (PACCOM) of Vietnam held a gala dinner in at the International Convention Center in Hanoi. Among the attendees were the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Ted Osius; President of AIP Foundation, Greig Craft; and representatives of international NGOs operating in Vietnam. Established in 1989, PACCOM is a specialized, functional body of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), tasked with facilitating activities of international NGOs and mobilizing aid in partnership with the Vietnamese Government. |
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Cross-sector educational activities make roads safer in Vietnam
AIP Foundation, with support from Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemicals (NSRP), has concluded a series of cross-sector educational activities on road safety in Vietnam’s Tan Truong, Hai Thuong and, Mai Lam communes. On 30 July at the Headquarters of Nghi Son Police Station in Tinh Gia District, a workshop was held to enhance the policing of high-risk road behavior. Among the 40 total participants were 25 police officers from the three aforementioned communes, joined by representatives of NSRP and the Thanh Hoa and Tinh Gia traffic safety committees and police. The objectives of the workshop were to develop strategies for increased traffic law enforcement, targeting specific high-risk violations; strengthen the network among provincial, district, and commune police, thereby creating a platform to share knowledge and best practices; and, establish resources for continued professional development. In the long run, the training is expected to translate into reductions of dangerous behavior on local roads as well as improved community awareness of traffic laws. Between 5 and 6 August, on-the-job safe driving training was offered to over 300 participants from Anh Phat and Lilama manufacturing corporations. From 10 to 11 August in Tan Truong Commune and from 15 to 16 August at Nghi Son High School, a total of 214 motorcycle drivers received training on road traffic laws and safe driving skills. Participants each received a quality helmet courtesy of NSRP and will take their driving license exam at the end of the month. Finally, three new billboards were installed and six renovated to promote road safety in the three aforementioned communes. |
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CDC epidemiologists in Vietnam target road safety through data-driven policy
In partnership with the U.S. Consulate, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) held a story-telling event at the American Center, where a large audience of young people gathered to hear epidemiologist Dr. Ninh Thi Ha discuss road safety from a global health perspective before delving into local helmet-wearing behaviors. A large portion of the data presented was drawn from CDC field research conducted in the Chu Chi District of Ho Chi Minh City. Through a mini-grant from the CDC and TEPHINET, epidemiologists are measuring the effect of the national helmet law in reducing head injuries and death. As part of Vietnam’s Field Epidemiology Training Program, based in the Ministry of Health, these professionals will utilize data to analyze the situation and make policy recommendations. After an engaging Q&A session, 100 Protec helmets were handed out to attendees by Consul General Rena Bitter. The helmets bore the 20th anniversary logo of normalized U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic relations. See pictures of the event here. Read the CDC article on their field research here on page 4. |
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550 teachers in Dong Nai receive road safety training to kick off the new school year
The Dong Nai Department of Education and Training (DoET) and Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) organized a two-day training workshop on road safety education for 550 primary, secondary and high school teachers in the province. This was the kick-off capacity-building event for teachers in Dong Nai in the 2015-2016 school year. Nhu Nguyen, Program Coordinator at AIP Foundation in Vietnam, gave a training on pedestrian and helmet safety, and proposed educational and communication activities that schools can implement in order to inspire behavior change among students and their parents. The teachers actively participated in discussions and conducted teaching simulations at the end of the training. The learning resources and proposed educational activities provided in this seminar were highly appreciated by the participants. It is expected that they will use the knowledge gained from the training to implement more effective road safety education at their schools. Plans are underway for Dong Nai DoET and TSC to distribute relevant communications materials including 14,300 banners and 60,000 notebooks to all schools, and donate 5,000 helmets for underprivileged students in the province. |
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Related news: Vietnam to begin issuing international driving permits to foreigners in October
Vietnam’s transport authorities will start granting International Driving Permits (IDPs) to Vietnamese and foreigners in October, allowing the holders to drive in more than 80 countries that recognize the licenses. Locals and those foreigners who have permanent residence permits can apply for the IDPs, so long as they have a driver’s license issued. The IDP has roots in the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, an international treaty designed to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety by establishing standard traffic rules among the contracting parties. Among the 85 countries to ratify the treaty are Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, the UK, and Vietnam. Read more here. |
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Related news: Toyota increases support to enhance road safety in Vietnam
Japan-backed Toyota Motor Vietnam and the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) inked a memorandum of cooperation on road safety enhancement for 2015-2018 with a view to promoting educational activities and raising awareness on safety regulations. According to NTSC Vice Chairman Khuat Viet Hung, for the first time, road deaths fell to below 9,000 people last year in Vietnam, with the trend continuing over the first half of this year. Government support has been pivotal in positively transforming road behavior in Vietnam. Read more about the new partnership here. |
Cambodia |
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Communes benefit from local road safety working groups
Supported by AIP Foundation, 18 Road Safety Working Groups have been formed and trained to address road safety issues in their respective communes. Educational activities implemented to date, focused especially on helmet-wearing, include 123 total street-based, door-to-door, and commune-wide activities. These working groups function as the sustainable local structures mandated via the Cambodian government’s sub-degree on road safety. |
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Spirits deliver helmet safety message on Cambodian TV
Over the last four months, AIP Foundation’s TV commercial promoting helmet-wearing has reached 94% of the national population, over 11.9 million people. Additionally, 83.9% of target audiences – namely, males and females aged 16 to 45 – have seen the commercial at least 3 times within the four-month period. In the commercial, a spirit father and daughter give helmets to an unprotected family on a motorcycle. It is made clear that the spirits had been killed in a crash while not wearing their helmets. The tagline of the ad drives home a live-saving message: “Protect your passengers’ lives. Make sure they wear helmets.” To view the TVC click here. |
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Related news: Road crashes kill 1,229 people in Cambodia in 1st half of 2015
The number of road fatalities in Cambodia had risen to 1,229 people in the first six months of this year, up 5% compared to the same period last year, according the Interior Ministry's Public Order Department. Meanwhile, the figures for total crashes and non-fatal injuries decreased. "On average, six people died and 22 others injured in road crashes per day," the report said, "Some 83% of the victims were motorists and 69% of them did not wear helmets." High-speed driving attributed to about 41% of the crashes, drink driving took some 12% of the accidents, and the rest of the accidents were caused by neglectful driving, vehicle problems, and traffic law violations. Read more here. |
Thailand |
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Hundreds of students receive helmets and training to get to school safely in Bangkok
Students and teachers from Prathom Taveetha Pisek School in Bangkok received 597 high-quality helmets. Support for the Helmets for Kids project was provided by ARRB Group, one of Australia’s most trusted road safety advisors, in collaboration with the Matilda Bay and Srapathum Rotary Clubs. Before the helmet donations, AIP Foundation trained all teachers and students of Prathom Taveetha Pisek School on important road safety messages and proper helmet use, reminding students to wear their helmets every day. Read the full press release here. View photos of the event here. |
China |
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Walk Wise workshop held for master trainers and road safety directors
AIP Foundation’s Walk Wise project has completed its final activities for the 2014-2015 school year period, and preparations are underway for phase four. Towards this end, a training workshop was held to allow past project schools to share experiences with upcoming project schools. The event convened 18 master trainers, 18 road safety directors, and one representative from Kai County Department of Education, in order to: enhance skills in participatory methods of training; increase communication among project stakeholders as a basis for mutual learning; and, develop teacher’s plans for the next school year. AIP Foundation staff conducted the training on these topics and reported strong willingness among participants to implement Walk Wise in their schools. |
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Related news: Jaywalkers made to wear ‘green hats of shame’
Police in one Chinese city have come up with a novel way of tackling jaywalkers - making them wear green hats while helping to direct traffic. Officers in Shenzhen, in the southern Guangdong Province, began the new initiative this month to try to cut the number of pedestrians who dodge traffic on the city's busy roads. But they've been facing some resistance to the color of headgear, because in Chinese culture the expression "wearing a green hat" signifies that a man's wife or girlfriend has cheated on him. The police say the hats are just meant to protect people from the sun, and match the green vests which are also being used. Police decided to try the new tactic after seeing the number of jaywalking offences rise to 127,000 in the first half of the year. Read more about the innovative tactic here. |
Tanzania |
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AIP Foundation and WHO join media workshop under Bloomberg Initiative
As part of the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety in Tanzania, AIP Foundation took part in a preparatory meeting for media facilitated by Ms. Callie Long from the World Health Organization (WHO). The main purpose of the meeting was to strengthen the professional network among key media actors, including media houses, editors, reporters, and agencies. Participants were also requested to give input into the design of the road safety fellowship program in Tanzania. |
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Related news: Tanzania grapples with Kampala-style boda boda problems
Tanzania’s capital of Dar es Salaam is struggling to keep up with the rapid increase of boda bodas, a motorcycle taxi popular in Uganda. This means of transport has long been identified as the fastest growing cause of road crashes, injuries and deaths. Like Uganda, Tanzania has tens of thousands of young men dropping out of school each year, with neither job skills nor viable work opportunities. In a day or two, without any formal training, they can learn to ride a motorcycle and vroom off with passengers. Both countries legally require boda boda operators and passengers to wear helmets – but few do. Police are struggling to enforce traffic laws strictly as they are under different pressures of politics and security. Read more about the rising issue here. |
Uganda |
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UHVI project wraps up after two years of successful implementation
The ”Wear a helmet” campaign, supported by AIP Foundation and the CrossRoads Challenge Fund, officially closed on 30 June, 2015 after two years of successful implementation. The project’s main components included: 20 traffic and helmet safety workshops for a total of 100 boda boda (motorcycle taxi) operators; the “Wear a helmet and live your life” media campaign utilizing radio ads, talk shows, billboards, and road signs; high-level advocacy for helmet laws and standards; and, monitoring and evaluation. As a key outcome, helmet use among boda boda operators rose from 49% to 77% from project start to end. In order to sustain the positive impact, police must continue to enforce motorcycle laws strictly and consistently across Kampala. |
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