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Global Newsletter December 2015
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Dear Friends and Supporters,
As we wrap up another year at AIP Foundation, I can’t help but feel proud of our achievements. We would like to thank our partners for all of their support throughout 2015, it has truly been an honor and a pleasure.
In 2015, the road safety community made milestone progress in putting road safety on the global agenda through the Sustainable Development Goals. On an organizational level, we expanded programs in both Thailand and China and achieved helmet use rate increases in target countries. With the global refocusing and prioritization of road safety, I am excited for the work to come in 2016.
In December, we delivered over 4,000 helmets to students in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Tra Vinh Province in Vietnam, celebrated National Road Safety Day with a pedestrian awareness event in China, and made preparations to begin supporting passenger helmet law enforcement in Cambodia for 2016.
Please see below to read more on AIP Foundation’s activities and achievements throughout the month.
We wish you a wonderful New Year!
Kind regards,
Mirjam Sidik
CEO, AIP Foundation
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Photo of the month
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Happy holidays and we wish you a wonderful New Year!
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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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World Bank warns on threat of road deaths
19 November, 2015
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Road deaths could surpass HIV-AIDS deaths by 2020 if improvements are not made / Credit: Phnom Penh Post
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Road deaths could be a bigger killer than HIV-AIDS by 2020 without more funding and cooperation to deliver improved road safety, World Bank officials have said.
While road deaths are estimated to have leveled off since 2007, they remain high at 1.25 million every year, with 50 million injuries. The Sustainable Development Goals aim to halve road deaths by 2030.
Bertrand Badré, the World Bank’s managing director and CFO, said to do this both the public and private sectors will need to step up their efforts. “We must shift from stabilizing to dramatically reducing road deaths. This will require more commitment, scaled-up action and dedicated funding.”
The number of traffic-related deaths is already higher than those from malaria or tuberculosis, and if trends continue, traffic-related deaths could surpass those from HIV-AIDS in the next five years. They are already the leading killer among 15-29 year olds.
Read the full article here.
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Police trainings conducted at five FIA Foundation project provinces
1 December, 2015 -- Can Tho, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Quang Ninh, and Yen Bai Provinces
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Policemen attend workshop to discuss child helmet use enforcement
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From 17 November to 1 December, police trainings took place at five of six FIA Foundation project provinces. 180 policemen participated in the trainings, where they discussed child helmet use enforcement. During the trainings, police shared their experiences and difficulties after their first enforcement of child helmet use in April of this year. Training content focused on basic helmet use knowledge and skills, communication skills, and how to deal with parents whose children do not wear helmets.
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Abbott expands
Helmets for Families to Hanoi
7 December, 2015 – Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Tra Vinh Province
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In the 2015-2016 school year, Abbott will hand over more than 4,000 helmets to primary school students
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AIP Foundation, with support from Abbott, collaborated with the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC), and the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) to kick off the
Helmets for Families program at Lieu Ninh Primary School in Hanoi. This is the first year the
Helmets for Families program expands to Hanoi after two years of successfully piloting in four schools in Ho Chi Minh City and five schools in Tra Vinh province. In the 2015-2016 school year, Abbott will hand over more than 4,300 helmets to students and teachers in two primary schools in Hanoi and to first grade students in nine schools in Ho Chi Minh City and Tra Vinh province. In addition, through an exchange program that covers up to 4,100 subsidized helmets, parents can exchange their low quality helmets for high-quality standard helmets for 65% of the original price.
Representatives from the NTSC, the MOET, the Hanoi TSC and DOET, traffic police and local authorities, Abbott, students, parents, and teachers joined the ceremony.
For more information, read the press release here. To view more photos, click here.
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AIP Foundation is ready to support motorcycle passenger helmet law enforcement
1 December, 2015 – Phnom Penh
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Police will begin fining for un-helmeted passengers in the coming year
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To support the government in kicking-off traffic law enforcement on 1 January, 2016, AIP Foundation’s Behavior Change Communication Program is preparing awareness-raising activities aimed at informing target communities about enforcement. Police will begin fining motorcyclists 15,000 riels for un-helmeted passengers.
The activities included are the broadcasting of TV and radio commercials, TV and radio discussion programs, and commune-based educational activities. The activities are scheduled to run from December 2015 to March 2016.
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AIP Foundation counts down to passenger helmet law enforcement
9 December, 2015 – Phnom Penh
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The countdown banner for the enforcement of the passenger helmet law is revealed
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A new traffic law is set to come into force in the New Year—starting on January 1st, traffic police will start to collect fines for passengers, in addition to drivers, that are caught not wearing a helmet. Across Cambodian televisions, spirits will appear to remind Cambodians to always wear their helmets in a commercial by AIP Foundation. These spirits are victims of road crash head injuries; they are not meant to scare but instead to protect the public. The spirits stop a family to tell them that failing to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle threatens their lives. The commercial reminds Cambodians to wear a helmet, whether they’re the driver or a passenger, no matter the distance along with spreading the news that “From 1st January 2016, police will fine 15,000 riels for each non-helmeted person.” The fine has increased five-fold compared to the previous fine of 3,000 riels for drivers violating the helmet law.
The commercial is part of a campaign supporting the dissemination and implementation of the new Road Traffic Law. The campaign incorporates media-, street-, and community-based approaches to improve helmet safety in Cambodia. The campaign is part of AIP Foundation’s “Head Safe. Helmet On.” (HSHO), which is a two-year project supported by the United States Agency for International Development, Development Innovation Ventures (USAID-DIV), and others, aimed to increase passenger helmet use in Cambodia.
Read more here.
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In anticipation of upcoming enforcement of the passenger helmet law, Manulife donates 800 helmets
12 December, 2015 – Phnom Penh
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Students are happy to receive helmets and commit to wearing them
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In celebration of the upcoming enforcement of the new passenger helmet law, AIP Foundation, with support from Manulife, donated helmets and raised road safety awareness at a
Helmets for Families event at Sothearos Primary School.
Road safety stakeholders, students, teachers, parents, local, and international media representatives attended the event. At the event, 804 helmets were donated to students and teachers at Sothearos Primary School, extra-curricular activities such as a question and answer session on road safety topics, a road crossing simulation corner, and a helmet wearing demonstration were held to raise awareness about the importance of quality helmet use and of practicing safe road behavior.
The event welcomed the upcoming enforcement of the passenger helmet law, which is scheduled to begin on 1 January, 2016—traffic police will begin fining anyone found driving a motorcycle or riding as a passenger without a helmet. While the law includes passengers, the final sub-decree does not include child passengers in enforcement. Failing to include children in the law’s enforcement leaves children vulnerable to injury and/or death in the event of a crash.
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Road safety and helmet use refresher training held for teachers from 18 Primary Schools
17-30 December, 2015 – Phnom Penh
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Teachers are trained on promoting helmet use among their students
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Under the
“Head Safe. Helmet On.” (HSHO) project, 500 teachers from 18 target Primary Schools participated in a vital road safety refresher training session that focused on how to promote helmet use among students, how to engage parents in road safety training, and how to increase student knowledge on road safety.
The session covered the benefits of correct helmet use and new passenger helmet law for families and the community, highlighting that an active role by teachers is important in ensuring students wear helmets every time they travel. Teachers shared their experiences and techniques on how to encourage students to always wear their helmets and how to disseminate road safety messages, especially with the upcoming new passenger law enforcement, to parents. Teachers committed to putting helmets on their students, no matter the distance or travel time, when riding on a motorcycle.
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Training workshop encourages effective road-safety journalism
23-25 December, 2015 – Kampong Som
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Journalists learn how to effectively report on road safety topics to create awareness and inspire positive behavior change
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With the passenger helmet law enforcement scheduled for 1 January 2016, in which motorcyclists will be fined for their passengers who are not wearing helmets, journalists are gearing up to increase raising awareness and promoting helmet use. Media has the unique ability to communicate with the wider public to influence for good—it can play a vital role in cultivating a healthy road safety culture. AIP Foundation, with support from the FIA Foundation, organized a workshop to train journalists on how to best cover road safety topics and on fact-based, public-interest reporting.
The forum was attended by 40 journalists representing print, online, television, and radio media. At the workshop, journalists built upon their knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively cover road safety, specifically focusing on the upcoming enforcement of the new passenger helmet law, to better reach the greater community. Participants also drafted a year-long plan of topics and approaches to guide an active, informal network of journalists to promote universal helmet use through media.
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U.S. Ambassador urges for helmets in holiday video message
23 December, 2015 – Phnom Penh
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U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia and his wife conclude holiday video message with reminder on upcoming passenger helmet law enforcement
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“Every life is valuable, so please work together to stay safe during this holiday season and beyond,” spoke U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, William A. Heidt as he sat beside his wife on a motorcycle and pointed to his helmet. This concluded a holiday video message for the U.S. Embassy’s social media pages, which received over 1,000 likes.
The Ambassador, who took office in August 2015, displayed important support to road safety by reminding the Cambodian public about the new motorcycle passenger helmet law, especially important as holiday seasons worldwide consistently see spikes in the number of crashes as more people take to the roads to travel or visit loved ones.
Cambodia’s new Road Traffic Law, which took effect January 1st, 2015 on all streets nation-wide, mandates helmet wearing among motorcyclists – drivers and now passengers, too.
To watch the video, click here.
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Related News: Road Deaths Jump, Traffic Blitz Soon
15 December, 2015
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Road deaths increased in Cambodia to more than six fatalities daily / Credit: www.khmertimeskh.com
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The number of road deaths (in Cambodia) jumped 5% this year – to an average of more than six a day – although injuries and the total number of accidents fell, the National Police General Commissariat said in its annual report.
The news comes ahead of new traffic laws and a nationwide blitz by police beginning the coming year aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents and their social and economic impact.
On average, 20 people are hurt, many seriously, every day in traffic accidents. The number of accidents fell 5 percent to 4,595 and the number of injuries also fell 5 percent, to 9,755, but the number of deaths rose to 2,265.
Read the full article here.
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Street Wise, sponsored by Chevron, hold extracurricular activities for over 1,000 students
27 November, 2015 – Songkhla Province
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Students learn important road safety lessons in order to practice safe behaviors
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Street Wise, sponsored by Chevron, held extracurricular activities for 1,153 students at five schools in Sighnakhon District, Songkhla. The road safety activities were facilitated by AIP Foundation with support and cooperation from the Singhanakhon Police Station. Activities aimed to educate students and teachers on rules, regulations, and traffic laws. Participants were encouraged to practice road safety in their daily lives. In addition, Chevron awarded prizes to students that won the road safety contest, which included poetry, drawing, and essay competitions.
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AIP Foundation presents at the 12th Thailand Road Safety Seminar “Next Steps the Second Half of Decade of Action for Road Safety 2015-2020”
14-15 December, 2015 – Bangkok
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AIP Foundation runs a booth on
Street Wise project achievements and activities
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AIP Foundation presented the
Street Wise project curriculum,
Helmets for Kids project activities, Legal Development Program activities, and road safety videos at the 12th Thailand Road Safety Seminar “Next Steps the Second Half of Decade of Action for Road Safety 2015-2020.” Additionally, AIP Foundation ran an activity booth to promote the Street Wise project, sponsored by Chevron, which attracted a total of 100 attendees.
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BIGRS Legal Development Program develops work plan for 2016 activities
17 December, 2015 – Bangkok
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Participants at the LDP meeting aim to improve road safety policy in Thailand
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AIP Foundation, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), conducted a Legal Development Program member follow-up meeting. At the meeting, participants discussed previous work and future plans related to the LDP Program. Research on “Mapping Road Safety in Thailand” was presented at the meeting and participants also developed a work plan for 2016.
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“The Discussion on Thailand Road Safety with WHO (World Health Organization)” enables assessment of current road safety environment
13 December, 2015 – Bangkok
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AIP Foundation participates in discussion about the status of road safety in Thailand
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Ratanawadee H. Winther, AIP Foundation Thailand Chairperson and Oratai Junsuwanarak, AIP Foundation Thailand Country Manager participated in “The Discussion on Thailand Road Safety with WHO (World Health Organization)” at the Marriott Bangkok. The discussion focused on giving an overview of the current RTI (Road Traffic Injuries) situation and Thailand Action Plan, as well as identifying potential improvements for the road safety situation in Thailand.
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Walk Wise project schools celebrate National Road Safety Day
2 December, 2015 – Chongqing Province
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Traffic police escort children as they walk and spread awareness about pedestrian safety
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Walk Wise, sponsored by Chevron, celebrated China’s 4th National Road Safety Day with 37 project schools holding activities to celebrate the occasion. Schools organized a “walking school bus” to practice pedestrian safety and to spread awareness to the community. Students wore yellow caps to be visible to oncoming traffic and teachers and traffic police guarded them while they commuted. Through this activity students can reinforce the pedestrian safety skills they learned in the classroom and the community is able to see a demonstrated commitment to road safety.
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Community advocacy spreads road safety message
21 November, 2015 – Kai County
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Quality helmets are distributed to attendees to encourage helmet use and to keep motorcyclists safe
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On China’s 4th National Road Safety Day, with the theme "Drive safely, beware of dangerous driving,”
Walk Wise worked with the Kai County Traffic Police Department on promoting quality helmet use. In preparation for the day, 150 motorcycle drivers were surveyed by AIP Foundation China volunteers. Survey results revealed that most drivers used sub-quality helmets, which often fail to adequately protect them in a crash. To address this issue, AIP Foundation, in collaboration with the traffic police department, organized an advocacy event that attracted over 300 participants. At the event, participants answered road safety questions and received helmets as gifts. To motivate motorcyclists to use their helmets, a training on how to wear a helmet correctly was held. Additionally, a small exhibition and presentation educated participants on different helmets and their use. Finally, 130 helmets were distributed to participants.
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