Thai Road Safety Delegation Visits Vietnam
06/06/2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hanoi, 6 June 2011- The Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation hosted a Thai road safety delegation of senior government officials from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Management (DDPM)andThai private sector stakeholders in Hanoi. The delegation visited AIP Foundation’s non-profit Protec helmet factory and discussed the possibility to develop a similar non-profit helmet enterprise in Thailand.
The Protec helmet factory is owned and operated by AIP Foundation, and re-invests all profits back into AIP Foundation’s road safety programs. This sustainable model increases access to high quality helmets on the market while supporting AIP Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Hanoi with operations in Thailand.The model has been adapted by the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative for expansion throughout the world.
The delegation had a meeting with the Chief Secretariat of the National Traffic Safety Committee, Thanh Van Thanh, and exchanged ideas and best practices. Both countries have similar goals to improve road safety and save lives.
“We are pleased to host our Thai counterparts to Vietnam and welcome the opportunity to share best practices across country borders,” said Greig Craft, President of AIP Foundation. “The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation is expected to be AIP Foundation’s key partner in the Thailand Helmet Vaccine Initiative, with the mission of putting a helmet on every head in Thailand during the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020).”
The Thailand Helmet Vaccine Initiative operates under the scope of the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, which is led by an international coalition including AIP Foundation, FIA Foundation, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme. The Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative seeks to increase helmet use in low- and middle-income countries worldwide through a five-pillar model. In Thailand, the Helmet Vaccine Initiative is led by AIP Foundation and primarily focuses on helmet provision, school-based programs, and technical assistance. The Thailand Department of Disaster Prevention and Management will be the principal government partner, in a similar model to AIP Foundation’s partnership with the National Traffic Safety Committee in Vietnam.
The Thai delegation included representatives from the DDPM, Honda Company Limited, the Road Accident Victims Protection Company Limited, Naresuan University, the Accident Prevention Network, and the Thai Motorcycle Enterprise Association.
For media inquiries please contact:
Megan Bailey
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
04-3771-0700
megan.bailey@aipf-vietnam.org
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About AIP Foundation
The Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP Foundation) is a U.S. registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that uses public-private partnerships, public awareness education, and school-based programs to reduce the rate of traffic injuries and fatalities in developing countries. AIP Foundation has offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Bangkok, Thailand. In 2001, AIP Foundation built its non-profit helmet assembly plant, V-SPEC, which manufactures Protec brand tropical helmets. These helmets offer an environmentally appropriate, safe and affordable option for motorbike and bicycle users.
In 2009, AIP Foundation, in collaboration with the FIA Foundation and the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility, launched the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, an international coalition with the objective of “putting a helmet on every head in the ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020).”
For more information about AIP Foundation and the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, please visit www.asiainjury.org or www.helmetvaccine.org.
