Driving Skills for Life 2013 launched

“Road safety continues to be a serious issue in Vietnam. Together with our road safety partners and our Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme, our aim is to continue raising awareness of driver safety and safe driving techniques to make people better, more aware and more responsible drivers,” said Hoang Van Minh, Ford Vietnam’s vice managing director at the event which was attended by more than 600 people.

Ford’s DSFL programme is now in its sixth year of training newly licenced drivers in Vietnam, which is tailored to reflect the local driving environment and road conditions of the Vietnamese market. With a mix of classroom and practical training sessions, the programme aims to promote safe, economic and eco-friendly driving. The programme has found wide acceptance among customers and other driving groups across the country, with over 6,000 people trained since the programme was launched in 2008. More than 1,000 are expected to participate in DSFL training sessions this year.

The message and content of the DSFL programme has been continually refined in Vietnam over its first five years to better suit the local environment and social context of Vietnamese drivers. This year, Ford Vietnam’s DSFL programme has added an increased emphasis on techniques that help improving fuel economy, in order for drivers to minimise their environmental footprint, while helping to save money at the pump as fuel prices in Vietnam continue to rise.

To further its road safety initiatives in Vietnam through DSFL programme, Ford and its partners also announced its No Honking campaign to take place on every Friday as No Honking Day. No Honking Day will be promoted through social media, encouraging young people to change their behaviour with horn usage for a better and more safe traffic culture.

Road traffic accidents continue to cause a high number of fatalities each year in Vietnam. According to the statistics of the National Traffic Safety Committee, 36,376 traffic accidents were reported in 2012, causing 9,838 fatalities and 38,060 injuries.