Over 1,000 students, teachers, and staff gathered at Tien Phong primary school, Gia Lam district, outskirts of Hanoi, to enjoy a helmet handover, helmet sculpture painting, a helmet wearing contest, a flash mob dance, and a special performance by the Vietnam Circus Federation.
Since implementing this law, Vietnam has saved an estimated USD3.5 billion in medical costs and lost output, and an estimated 500,000 head injuries and 15,000 fatalities have been prevented.
“We are proud to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the national helmet law with primary school students, some of our most vulnerable road users, who will nevertheless grow up to become some of our biggest road safety advocates. I hope that this event helps encourage students and their families to stay safe on the roads”, said Mr. Pham Ngoc Tuan, Head of Political and Ideological Education section under Hanoi Department of Education and Training.
Photo for illustration
According to Mr Saul Billingsley, Executive Director of the FIA Foundation, on December 15th, 2007, Vietnam saw an immediate change in helmet use overnight thanks to well-coordinated efforts by multiple stakeholders and a highly effective public awareness campaign.
The Vietnam Helmet Wearing Coalition (VHWC) received special recognition for their contributions to building support for the law and pushing it to the forefront of public discourse. The Coalition, led by AIP Foundation, provided funding and in-kind support for a landmark public awareness campaign, Wear a helmet. There are no excuses., prior to the passage of the national helmet law. This campaign, supported by the Vietnamese Government, is frequently cited as one of the influential factors in the enactment of the national helmet law.
The VHWC’s advocacy efforts demonstrated to the Government that supporters from around the world were ready to share expertise to address low helmet use on Vietnam’s roads.
Despite the success of the national helmet law, child helmet use enforcement remains a major concern.
“After 10 years of implementing the national helmet law, we have achieved significant success. However, there is still a long journey ahead; the helmet wearing rate for children aged 6 years old and above remains low. When we have strong enforcement programs, the rate of children wearing helmets increases to 50%-60%. Without enforcement, the rate stays at 30-40%. This is our challenge as well as our mission for the near future,” said Dr. Khuat Viet Hung, Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC)./.
AIP Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing road injuries and fatalities in low- and middle-income countries. Since 1999, AIP Foundation has been delivering effective road safety programs in locations across Asia and Africa.
FIA Foundation is an independent UK registered charity which supports an international program of activities promoting road safety, the environment and sustainable mobility. It aims to ensure "Safe, Clean, Fair and Green" mobility for all.