Decade of Action for Road Safety Launches Worldwide
11/05/2011
More than 80 countries worldwide celebrated the launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) on May 11, uniting around the common message: "It Is Time for Action."
The Decade of Action for Road Safety is a UN Resolution calling for a 50 percent reduction in road traffic fatalities by 2020, signed by more than 90 countries. The Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation contributed to launch events in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Uganda.
"We cannot afford to lose more young lives to this epidemic of road traffic crashes," said Greig Craft, AIP Foundation President. "We have the solutions; let's take action now. Place the tag on your heart. Wear your seatbelt. Put on your helmet. Don't speed. Don't drink and drive."
In Vietnam, AIP Foundation implemented a communication campaign featuring ten celebrities promoting road safety to raise awareness in advance of the launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The campaign includes a television commercial, billboards, and news and online media coverage in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang, with the message: "Together, we can save millions of lives."
In addition, AIP Foundation hosted the Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce, at a Helmets for Kids event sponsored by the Australian Embassy on May 10. Through Helmets for Kids, the Australian Embassy donated helmets and road safety education to 924 students and 54 teachers.
"Tomorrow marks the first day of the Decade of Action for Road Safety," said Governor-General Quentin Bryce. "Here, in Vietnam, road safety is a concern for parents especially. Last year there were 13,713 road traffic crashes. Of these, more than 10 thousand were injured and 11,060 Vietnamese people died. Many of those deaths were children."
In Hanoi, AIP Foundation projected the Decade of Action for Road Safety tag on Don Xuan Market as an international symbol for action. AIP Foundation also promoted road safety at the grassroots level through community-based programs including street walks, photo exhibitions, and activities at traffic safety parks.
On May 11, AIP Foundation joined the Vietnamese government at the official launch conference to announce the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The government's objective in the Decade of Action for Road Safety is to reduce the traffic fatality rate by 38 percent, from 13 per 100,000 population to 8 per 100,000 population.
In Cambodia, stakeholders including AIP Foundation implemented a public awareness campaign featuring street banners, billboards, posters, leaflets and TV announcements. AIP Foundation attended the official launching ceremony on May 11 at which a documentary produced by the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative was shown. The national target set by the Government is to reduce traffic fatalities in Cambodia by 30 percent by 2020. In Phnom Penh, AIP Foundation projected the tag on the Royal Railway Station.
In Thailand, AIP Foundation participated in a launch event featuring a speech by the Deputy Prime Minister in support of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. Stakeholders including AIP Foundation were invited on stage to demonstrate their commitment to road safety. The speeches were followed by a motorcycle parade, featuring AIP Foundation representatives Danish Ambassador Mikael Hemniti Winther and Thai actor Dom Hetrakul. In addition, AIP Foundation distributed informational fliers, t-shirts, and posters, under the generous sponsorship of Pandora and Ecco.
