Safe Road User Behavior

On December 7th, members of the Cambodia Biker Club made a formal commitment to putting helmets on themselves and their passengers every time they ride, as a convoy of riders kicked off the new “Always care. Always wear a helmet.” public awareness campaign. The campaign is being implemented by Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation, in close collaboration with the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) and the General Commissariat of National Police, Ministry of Interior (MoI).

“Research shows that Cambodians understand that wearing helmets can be the difference between dying and surviving a motorcycle accident,” said Mirjam Sidik from AIP Foundation. “However, adult and child passengers frequently ride without helmets when they travel short distances or close to home. The truth is that most accidents happen then, and these choices are costing Cambodia thousands of lives.”

To combat this problem, the public awareness campaign released today focuses on reminding Cambodians that putting a helmet on their passengers is a simple act of caring, one among the many they routinely perform for their loved ones every day. The campaign’s logo, both a helmet and a heart, illustrates this simple but life-saving concept.

“Always care. Always wear a helmet.” will utilize public events, television commercials, radio spots, billboards, posters and more to communicate the immense savings, in both lives and costs, that can result from putting helmets on all motorcycle riders.

“Always care. Always wear a helmet.” will utilize public events, television commercials, radio spots, billboards, posters and more to communicate the immense savings, in both lives and costs, that can result from putting helmets on all motorcycle riders. global issue,” says Mr. Saul Billingsley from FIA Foundation. “With the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020), we have the opportunity to bring together a coalition of activists from non-profit organizations, government offices, and the private sector to save lives, costs, and prevent suffering.”

“As regular motorcycle riders, we are committing to wearing helmets every single time we travel,” said Mr. Khor Who Hock from the Cambodia Biker Club. “We aim to be role models in supporting this cause. Wearing shirts with the logo today, and giving rides to attendees, raises awareness of this important issue in a fun and memorable way.”

“Always care. Always wear a helmet” is the second phase of a 45 month passenger helmet campaign, and aims to advocate for passenger helmet legislation and increase helmet use rates among motorcycle passengers in Cambodia.

“The government of Cambodia and the National Police have been supporting AIP Foundation’s initiative and will continue in the years ahead” said General Kim Yideth of the Central Department of Public Order. “Whether through these public awareness campaigns, or school-based programs such as Helmets for Kids, promoting the act of caring for one another can help thousands of families.”

For Media Contact

Chloé Denavit

Communications Coordinator

AIP Foundation

18bis/21 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District ,1Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Tel: 08-6299-1409 Ext. 113

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

*** 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, launched the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative (GHVI), an international coalition with the objective of “putting a helmet on every head in the ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020).” In May 2010, H.E Mr. Im Sethy, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, High Representative of Deputy Prime Minister H.E Mr. Sar Kheng, Minister of Interior launched the Cambodia Helmet Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) in Phnom Penh.

H.E. Hun Manet, representing Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen, joined the Australian Ambassador to Cambodia Her Excellency Ms Penny Richards for the formal handover of a donation of 1,724 motorcycle helmets to primary school students on December 6^th in Phnom Penh. The donation is part of a Helmets for Kids program sponsored by the Australian Government’s Direct Aid Program (DAP). Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation is implementing the program, in collaboration with the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), and the General Commissariat of National Police, Ministry of Interior (MoI).

Helmets for Kids is a school-based program which provides helmets and helmet use education to elementary school students and teachers. At Hun Sen Chak Angre Primary School, 42 teachers were trained in teaching young students about helmet use. The school’s gates were painted with a mural to remind parents to put a helmet on their child’s heads. A final Helmet Handover Ceremony, featuring speeches, student performances, and the symbolic handover of helmets to ten children, brings together road safety stakeholders to celebrate the joint efforts being made to keep Cambodia’s children safe on the road.

“The Government of Cambodia is strongly dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries occurring in our country due to motorcycle crashes,” said H.E. Hun Manet. “Helmets are a simple and effective solution, and protecting our youth from the dangers of the road is essential to ensuring our country’s bright future.”

To ensure that Helmets for Kids programs effectively increase child helmet use, educate teachers and parents, and reduce the number of road casualties, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are partnering with AIP Foundation to monitor and evaluate the program. CDC’s evaluation framework for all HFK programs in Cambodia will be developed based on the model of Hun Sen Chak Angre Primary School.

“The Australian Embassy’s Direct Aid Program chose to sponsor this program because we are firmly behind the goal of eliminating avoidable death and injury caused by road accidents, one of the leading causes of non-disease related premature death, disability and serious injury in Cambodia,” said H.E. Ms Penny Richards, Australia’s Ambassador to Cambodia. “Wearing a helmet is the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle accidents.”

“Helmets for Kids is one of several initiatives being undertaken this year to promote helmet use among motorcycle passengers,” said Greig Craft, AIP Foundation President. “A national Motorcycle Passenger Helmet Campaign beginning this month will feature television commercials, radio spots, billboards, posters and more. These goals are in firm support of the Royal Government of Cambodia's commitment to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.”

Last year, AIP Foundation ran a motorcycle helmet campaign entitled “One helmet. One life.” which was publically endorsed by the Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen. His support has been extended to this year’s campaign including the Helmets for Kids program at which H. E. Hun Manet was present.

For Media Contact

Chloé Denavit

Communications Coordinator

AIP Foundation

18bis/21 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Tel: 08-6299-1409 Ext. 113

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

***
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, launched the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative (GHVI), an international coalition with the objective of “putting a helmet on every head in the ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020).” In May 2010, H.E Mr. Im Sethy, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, High Representative of Deputy Prime Minister H.E Mr. Sar Kheng, Minister of Interior launched the Cambodia Helmet Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) in Phnom Penh.

Overview

The “One-day RS10 Risk Factor Workshop” focused on the 2 main risk factors: drink driving and helmet wearing, which were chosen by the Cambodian working group during the meeting at WHO office in Phnom Penh in early 2010. The workshop targeted around 150 institutions (non governmental organizations and private companies in Cambodia).