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Global Newsletter June 2016 |
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Dear Friends and Supporters, June was certainly an eventful month, both for AIP Foundation and for the global road safety community. Protec, a social enterprise helmet factory established by AIP Foundation, just reached an impressive milestone: 15 years of providing vulnerable road users with safe and affordable helmets. Especially in light of recent data showing just how ineffective sub-standard helmets are in protecting against head trauma, Protec’s efforts to keep roads safe are more vital than ever. Elsewhere in road safety, the World Health Assembly convened and adopted its first resolution on road safety in more than a decade. The resolution notes that urgent action is needed to improve the global road safety crisis, a clear message which will hopefully pave the way for a more concerted effort to change the status quo on our roads. One of the collaborations investing in this change is the Global Initiative for Child Health and Mobility, which was launched at the beginning of the month. FIA Foundation, along with others, is hosting and coordinating this important collaborative effort to realize a future in which the world’s children have access to safe, low-carbon mobility; clean air and a healthy environment; and a safe and healthy journey to school. It’s an exciting time in the road safety community; read on for more information on AIP Foundation’s role. Kind regards, Mirjam Sidik
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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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Employment Opportunities
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Global |
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Photo of the month
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 Health Assembly adopts first resolution on road safety since 2004
For the first time since 2004, the World Health Assembly has adopted a resolution on road safety, noting that urgent action is needed to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2020. Among other items, the resolution calls for national strategies and plans to address the needs of the most vulnerable people on the roads, including children and youth. The document also acknowledges the role that evidence-based interventions and road safety education play in decreasing the rates of road crashes globally. Read the draft resolution here. |
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Congratulations to Protec on 15 years of operation
Protec, a social enterprise helmet factory established by AIP Foundation, just reached an impressive milestone: 15 years of providing vulnerable road users with safe and affordable helmets! There are currently 200 staff working for Protec, including 130 factory workers, some of whom are disabled and benefit from the specifically-modified work environment of the factory. The team produces approximately 500,000 quality helmets every year, and directly supplies helmets to our programs in parallel with our public awareness campaigns and road safety education programs. Watch Protec’s 15-year anniversary video here. |
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Study shows certified helmets protect riders up to three times more in crash
A preliminary study out of the University of Virginia’s Center for Applied Biomechanics highlights one of the current challenges in helmet safety in low- and middle-income countries: the inferior protection afforded by sub-standard motorcycle helmets. In tests of certified and uncertified helmets from a variety of countries, uncertified (substandard) helmets were about three times more likely to result in a serious or severe head injury than certified helmets. The type of helmet (whether that be full-face, open-face, or half) had little effect on the helmet’s impact response. These results show the often-overlooked importance of helmet quality in discussions on how to protect vulnerable road users. While many of the countries in which AIP Foundation works have made great strides in recent years towards increased helmet use rates, helmet quality is still a central stumbling block to lowering injury and fatality rates due to road crashes. To read the abstract of this report, click here. |
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The Global Initiative for Child Health and Mobility
This month saw the debut of the Global Initiative for Child Health and Mobility. FIA Foundation, along with others, is hosting and coordinating this important collaborative effort to realize a future in which the world’s children have access to safe, low-carbon mobility; clean air and a healthy environment; and a safe and healthy journey to school. With the level of expertise and experience that the members of this initiative can bring to bear on the issue of road safety, this concerted effort will surely lead to real improvements in our road system for our children and bring us closer to living up to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. For more information on the initiative, visit their website here. |
Vietnam |
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Road safety talk show puts a real face to the dangers of road crashes
A road safety talk show centered on honing motorcycle driving skills and understanding road dangers was organized this month at Nghi Son Secondary and High school in the Thanh Hoa Province of northern Vietnam. The event, attended by 530 high school students, was one of the school-based activities included in the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical project, which aims to decrease the incident of road crashes and injuries in the industrial zone area. The broader goal of the day’s activities was to raise awareness among high school students and young drivers of the very real risk of road injuries and fatalities by introducing them to an array of speakers. Police were on hand to make presentations about national traffic laws and highlight the most common traffic offenses they see young people committing. Additionally, in order to show the trauma that victims of road crashes have to endure, four crash survivors spoke to the students about what a crushing financial, emotional, and psychological toll serious injury can have on families. |
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Photo contest and exhibition give children agency in their own road safety education
More than 200 students from eight target schools in the industrial zone area of Tinh Gia District of Thanh Hoa Province participated this month in a photo contest to demonstrate their road safety awareness. Students were tasked with identifying and photographing examples of smart or risky road user behavior in their local communities. At the exhibition, 39 photos were displayed and the two most outstanding from each school were presented on stage by the students themselves. The attendees and judging delegation from Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex and the Tinh Gia Bureau of Education and Training were impressed by the confidence and thoughtfulness of the young students in presenting their observations of the current road environments in their hometown and their recommendations for improving them. The photo displays were transported back to their respective schools after the event to serve as reminders for students and parents of the importance of road safety and their accomplishments in ensuring their local communities keep thriving. |
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Johnson & Johnson’s
Helmets for Kids program embarks on fifth year
Stakeholder orientations and teacher training workshops have been held in Quang Nam, Gia Lai, and Dong Nai provinces as part of the preparations for the Helmets for Kids programs that will take place there throughout the upcoming school year. This represents the start of a fifth consecutive year of partnership between AIP Foundation and Johnson & Johnson, a collaboration which has resulted in 40,000 helmets donated to schools across the country. In 2016, the program continues in Dong Nai and Quang Nam provinces, while also expanding to Gia Lai Province. The teacher trainings focused on implementing a new series of School Guidelines developed by AIP Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The Guidelines include sample lessons, classroom activities, interactive teaching methods, and best practices for improving road safety skills and encouraging daily helmet use. In addition to these Guidelines, which give schools themselves ownership of and responsibility for the improvement of helmet use rates among their students, parents in Dong Nai Province will be motivated to purchase subsidized helmets for their children. This effort to encourage lasting behavioral change among project beneficiaries will be analyzed upon project completion and presented to the Ministry of Education and Training for possible nationwide implementation. |
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AIP Foundation awarded for its contributions to Vietnamese society
The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations, which oversees the 147 NGOs and INGOs currently working in the city, recently held an Annual Meeting at which they distinguished a select group of NGOs for their work in improving the lives of Vietnamese citizens. AIP Foundation was awarded for its efforts to improve the quality of life for children and families in Ho Chi Minh City by empowering them with the safety knowledge and equipment needed to reduce road crashes, fatalities, and injuries. |
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CDC resident to support AIP Foundation in data analysis
In collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Public Health, AIP Foundation is excited to welcome a resident from the CDC Field Epidemiology Training Program. Mr. Le Dinh Trong Nhan will bring his experience working at Ho Chi Minh City’s Institute of Public Health to our analysis of the data from Vietnam’s National Child Helmet Action Plan (NCHAP). Nhan will compare pre- and post-intervention data to understand the linkage between helmet use rates and NCHAP. Nhan’s time at AIP Foundation will provide a clearer picture of the causal relationship between programming and behavioral change to help steer future efforts towards increased helmet use and effectiveness. Welcome to AIP Foundation, Nhan! We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship in the coming months. |
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Related news: Road crashes, drowning hurt hundreds of Vietnamese children every day
Source: Thanh Nien News, 26 May, 2016. Vietnam needs to do a lot more to create a safer environment for children, as new figures showed that drowning and road crashes still kill or injure hundreds of them every day. Figures from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs released at a press conference showed that 580 children fall victim to injurious or fatal accidents every day. At least 20 of them are killed on a daily basis in the accidents, with road crashes and drowning identified as the leading causes. The number of victims is eight times that of developed countries and higher than many Southeast Asian neighbors, according to the Ministry’s figures. Read the full article here. |
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Blog post: Drinking and Driving: a global problem.
Source: John Menadue – Pearls and Irritations, 27 June, 2016. Vietnam has high rates of drink-driving among young taxi drivers, workers, and beginning drivers, and very high rates of young people having traveled as a passenger alongside a drunk driver. The country is known as having a much higher alcohol consumption rate than in other countries like Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Thailand (Huu Bich, et al. 2009). Drinking patterns in Vietnam are higher due to the cultural practice of drinking alcohol as a means for strengthening friendship and sharing. According the Ministry of Health (2009), injuries are the 10th leading cause of death for people of all ages; road traffic fatalities account for half of those deaths and alcohol involvement in road crashes remains high. The police statistics indicated that drinking alcohol was a contributory factor in 7% of motor vehicle crashes. To read the full blog post visit John Menadue's blog here. |
Cambodia |
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Welcome Louise Goldman to AIP Foundation in Cambodia as Policy Change Implementation and Enforcement Advisor
Louise joins AIP Foundation in Phnom Penh as part of the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program, an Australian Government initiative. Louise brings unique road safety insights to her role, having previously worked in Australia for the Transport Accident Commission and Work Safe Victoria, developing and implementing behavior change programs focused on injury prevention and management. In 2014, Louise was granted the “Innovation in Personal Injury Management” award by the Personal Injury Education Foundation in Australia for her work in developing and implementing a state-wide education and awareness program for General Practitioners supporting patients in returning to work following a transport- or work-related injury. As Policy Change Implementation and Enforcement Advisor, Louise will work to provide capacity development guidance to Cambodian staff and assistance to support advocacy and enforcement activities with national, provincial, and district level stakeholders, including the Ministry of Interior and the police. |
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National officials gather to improve helmet use throughout Cambodia
As part of the Head Safe. Helmet On. project (HSHO), AIP Foundation, in partnership with The UPS Foundation, has convened its third nationwide stakeholder workshop to discuss the state of road safety in the country. The event primarily reflected on the achievements and lessons learned from HSHO, a project aimed at increasing motorcycle passenger helmet use in Cambodia, which ended implementation June 1st. It also served as a forum to address the continued challenges facing road users and traffic police following the start in January of the enforcement of the new Road Traffic Law. For more information on this event, read the press release here. |
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Cambodian communes awarded for tackling low helmet use rates
AIP Foundation, in partnership with The UPS Foundation, has awarded top prizes to three communes in the “Commune of Excellence in Helmet Use” competition, which launched at the end of January to encourage broader support for helmet use in the three target provinces of Kampong Speu, Kandal, and Phnom Penh as part of the two-year project Head Safe. Helmet On. Today’s awards ceremony announced that the winners were Vorsor and Trapaingkong Communes in the Samrong Tong District of Kampong Speu Province and Prek Eng Commune in the Chba Ampov District of Phnom Penh Province. These communes were chosen because they fulfilled key selection criteria, such as having an active, well-functioning road safety working group, drafting an annual plan to improve motorcycle passenger helmet us, and independently organizing commune-wide, objective-oriented activities centered around road safety. For more information on this event, read the press release here. |
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Related video: Cambodia at a crossroads – On the road to rule of law
This short documentary follows Sophanny, a resident of Phnom Penh, through her daily, harrowing journey on Cambodia’s roads, while other residents, including tuk tuk drivers, students, and ambulance drivers, share their own experiences of the dangers of driving. Watch the documentary here. |
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Related news: Helmet use for children low despite Traffic Law
Source: The Phnom Penh Post, 2 Jun, 2016. Research by AIP Foundation found helmet use by child motorcycle passengers was still low in January despite the government’s much-touted Traffic Law, with observers blaming poor enforcement. AIP Foundation Cambodia Country Director Pagna Kim said yesterday that the organization set up cameras for two hours a day in Kampong Speu, Phnom Penh, and Kandal provinces to monitor helmet use in January and determine whether the implementation of the Traffic Law impacted passenger behavior. They found that just 29% of children riding pillion were wearing helmets. Pagna said AIP Foundation was concerned by the numbers, despite them being up from 13% in November 2015. Read the full article here. |
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Opinion piece: Addressing the culture of hit-and-runs in Cambodia
Source: Phnom Penh Post, 15 June, 2016. Hit-and-runs are incredibly common in Cambodia. One out of every four traffic collisions in the country is a hit-and-run crash. Of those, 50% result in fatalities. The trend is rising. Because hit-and-run drivers do not stop to help the injured person, or to call for emergency medical services immediately, the probability of severe injuries and even fatalities is increased. There is a widespread belief in Cambodia that onlookers would resort to a form of “citizen justice” if drivers responsible for an injury stop at the collision site. The fear of mob violence is not unfounded because in the past a number of people who had caused serious road crashes have been injured or even killed by onlookers. Such mob action is based on the belief that authorities will not deliver justice; unfortunately, this belief has some foundation. While the current Traffic Law states that drivers who commit a hit-and-run face a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine of 25 million riel ($6,250) if found guilty, sentencing is rare for drivers who flee the scene of a collision. Read the full article here. |
Thailand |
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AIP Foundation event featured on Thai news
Ratanawadee H. Winther, Thailand Chairperson for AIP Foundation, was interviewed by the Thai PBS news channel in connection with a recent event for The 7% Project, which drew 2,000 attendees in support of increased helmet use among children. The 7% Project is a nationwide campaign established by AIP Foundation and Save the Children in response to the road crash crisis in Thailand. Part of the problem is that helmet wearing rates in the country are so low – just 7% of child passengers ride protected - and the project aims to tackle this issue with an integrated approach focusing on enforcement, education, and media outreach. For more information on the event held for The 7% Project, see the press release here, and watch video from the event here. |
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1,000 helmets distributed to Thai students through
Street Wise project
Following a major event last month to celebrate the second year of implementation of the Street Wise project, 1,000 helmets have been distributed to students at participating schools. Street Wise is a collaboration between AIP Foundation and Chevron Thailand, aimed at equipping Thai students in Songkhla Province with essential road safety skills. To see more photos, click here. For more information on the May Street Wise event, read the press release here. |
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AIP Foundation attends seminar on revising Land Traffic Act of 1979
AIP Foundation attended a seminar with other involved stakeholders to consider amending the Land Traffic Act of 1979. The focus for the changes center on instituting new penalties and fines for those who disobey the law, whether that be in the form of speeding, drink-driving, or violating parking rules. These changes are intended to improve the safety of the roads in Thailand, which are currently the second most deadly in the world. Lt. Gen. Adul Srihiran acted as chairman of the seminar. In addition to representatives of AIP Foundation and its affiliated Legal Development Program, other attendees included the legal working group of the Royal Thai Police and collected academics and experts in the field of Thai law. |
China |
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Photo competition challenges students to examine road safety in their communities
AIP Foundation’s Walk Wise project, which is enabled by Chevron, recently organized a group photo competition for three middle schools in Kai County. The contest aimed to improve the knowledge and awareness of the students on the topic of road safety in an interactive and creative format. On May 27th, an exhibition of submitted photos was held at Wenfeng Middle School. Each group then delivered a speech and performance describing their entry to a panel of judges. Representatives from the Kai County Education Department, the Kai County Traffic Police Department, the Kai County Coordination Office for Chevron’s Chuandongbei project, Chevron, the Kai County Youth League, and the Kai County News Agency were in attendance at the contest and made up the panel of judges. Nearly 400 audience members were in attendance at the event. The panel of judges was impressed by the wide range of different perspectives the students decided to take and their innovative, dynamic approach to thinking about and solving road safety issues. To view photos from the event, click here. |
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Road modifications to pave way for safer route to school
Starting at the end of May, the Walk Wise project team and the Kai County Education Committee Officer toured all 20 Phase IV project schools, surveying for traffic risks around the school grounds. They also spoke with each school's principal and safety director and discussed road treatment methods that could remedy any observed risks. The next step, which will take place next month, will be to carry out necessary infrastructural modifications based on these observations at 19 of the Phase IV project schools. The goal after modification is to ensure that students can enter and leave school in a safe manner and in a controlled environment; to this end, all schools will receive pedestrian crossings, and some heavy traffic areas will also be equipped with speed bumps. |
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The
Walk Wise project invites outside consultants to provide feedback on implementation
Between the 20th and 23rd of June, AIP Foundation's Walk Wise project invited consultants from the Global Road Safety Program in China and the WHO's China office, Mr. Ding Baoguo and Mr. Mao, to conduct an evaluation of the road safety education that took place in connection with the project throughout the 2015-16 school year. Representatives from the Kai County Education Department were also on hand during the evaluation sessions, which were carried out in three schools. Six classes, consisting of around 220 students, were tested with road safety skill questionnaires, and various focus groups were organized with select parents, teachers, and students who played active roles in the project over the past year. In addition, the evaluation team also interviewed the principal of each school and recorded the road-safety-related behaviors of students at school day's end, paying particular attention to students passing in and out of the school gate. At the end of the evaluation period, Walk Wise stakeholders gathered for a focus group discussion about the road safety successes and challenges in recent years in Kai County. The overall evaluation process provided a good opportunity to build the capacity of relevant stakeholders in Kai County and laid the foundations for an even more efficient and productive year of implementation for the upcoming school year. To view photos from the evaluation, click here. |
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Related video: Solving China’s road safety problem
Source: Bloomberg, 30 May, 2016. China is the world’s biggest automobile market, and it also has a woeful safety record. More people die on Chinese roads than anywhere else in the world. As Bloomberg's Stephen Engle reports, awareness of basic road safety hasn’t kept up with the nation’s rapid economic development. Watch the video here. |
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