Child Safety Toolkit training for parents in Hanoi launched

The Child Safety Toolkit was launched at South Tu Liem Primary School in Hanoi

The Child Safety Toolkit launching ceremony was held during the 5^th United Nations Global Road Safety Week and was attended by 800 primary school students and teachers.

Public awareness campaigns and education will be used to promote car seats and seatbelt use for children, specifically targeting the behavior and attitudes of parents.The initiative is modeled after FIA’s toolkit for child safety in cars, and will advocate for child seatbelt use and car seats to be included in Vietnamese law.

“Vietnam does not currently have laws enforcing the use of restraint systems and seatbelts for children,” said Luu Xuan Binh, deputy chief of the secretariat of the Hanoi Traffic Safety Committee. “As more families make the shift from motorcycle to car, the government and the public sector need to work together to address these growing safety concerns through legislative change.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road crashes in Vietnam cause an estimated 24,970 fatalities and more than 499,400 injuries each year. Children are particularly vulnerable, with 1,900 children perishing on Vietnam’s roads each year. Road crashes are the second leading cause of death for Vietnamese children between the ages of 5 and 14. WHO reports that wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death among drivers and front seat occupants by 45-50 per cent and the risk of death and serious injuries among rear seat occupants by 25 per cent.

In addition to parent training workshops and government advocacy, AIP Foundation will implement a public awareness campaign on social media and install a series of billboards in busy traffic areas around Hanoi. The campaign will reach approximately 78,440 people.

“I see a lot of parents bringing their young children to school in cars,” said Ngo Thi Thanh, principal of Nam Tu Liem Primary School. “We need to focus on educating them to buckle-up their children.”

Hoang Na Huong, managing director of AA Vietnam, stated, “The programme aligns with the theme of the 5^th United Nations Global Road Safety Week: leadership for road safety. Parents attending the training will become champions to change society’s behaviour and protect children.”

The Child Safety Toolkit project is funded by the FIA Foundation through the FIA Road Safety Grant Programme to promote and enforce child passenger safety.