GM Vietnam launches Child Passenger Safety Campaign across Vietnam

The Child Passenger Safety Campaign was kicked off at Dich Vong A Primary School in Hanoi

Under the theme “Backseat. Buckled up,” the campaign includes a series of communication activities leveraging the media and social networks, along with three knowledge-sharing workshops for car-owning parents in the three major cities of Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

The campaign is aimed at preventing unnecessary deaths and injuries among children by raising public awareness of the significance of child safety seats and seatbelts as well as emphasising parents’ responsibility for keeping their children safe when traveling in vehicles.

At the kick-off event at Dich Vong A Primary School in Hanoi, parents and their children actively participated in road safety games for kids and a knowledge-sharing workshop hosted by National Traffic Safety Committee experts.

“GM Vietnam is conducting this campaign to join the government’s efforts to ensure the safety of young vehicle passengers through the 2018 National Traffic Safety Year, the theme of which is ‘Traffic Safety for Children’,” said Ian Nicholls, president of GM Southeast Asia.

“GM has always been committed to serving and contributing to the development of the communities where we live and work around the world. Bearing in mind the ‘We care’ spirit, we will continue to strengthen this commitment through activities that make a difference in people’s lives,” he added.

“GM is more than just an American business, it is a company that takes its role as a member of this community seriously to contribute to the greater good, to solve problems, and to improve the lives of the Vietnamese people. I am proud of the work GM is doing in Vietnam to improve transportation safety for children,” said Caryn McClelland, US Embassy deputy chief of Mission.

According to AIP Foundation figures, road crashes in Vietnam cause approximately 22,419 fatalities and more than 453,617 injuries each year, which results in an annual loss of an estimated $3 billion.

Children are particularly vulnerable. Every four minutes, a child in the world dies in a road crash. In Vietnam, 2,000 children die from road crashes each year. This is the second leading cause of death for Vietnamese children between the ages of 5 and 14.

For children, wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent death and serious injury in a vehicle crash. People not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash.

“Many parents who drive cars in Vietnam are not aware of the risks of not wearing seatbelts or using child safety seats,” said Khuat Viet Hung, vice chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee. “Through the campaign, we will focus on educating parents and families about the importance of keeping their children safe and secure when traveling. Seatbelts and child restraints are a simple step that every family can take to reduce the risk of injury or death.”

To promote the campaign’s message and share traffic safety knowledge with more families, two similar workshops will be held on April 8 at Phu Dong Primary School in Danang and April 13 at Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School in Ho Chi Minh City.

With the support of the US Embassy and government authorities, the campaign is expected to include the participation of more than 700 parents in the three cities. With the assistance of the media, the campaign is expected to benefit more than 76,000 people across Vietnam.

This is not the first time that GM Vietnam has engaged in traffic safety activities. In 2016, GM Vietnam collaborated with AIP Foundation to donate 1,000 motorcycle helmets to primary school students in Hanoi.

GM Vietnam has also actively participated in a wide range of other social and charitable activities covering social welfare, healthcare, education, and environmental protection.

In 2017 alone, activities included delivering Tet gifts, donating equipment to the Turtle Conservation Centre in Ninh Binh province, planting mangrove trees in Nam Dinh province, building playgrounds from recycled materials, and supporting the flood-affected community in Lao Cai province, among others.

This year, GM Vietnam has presented 50 Chevrolet scholarships to disadvantaged students from 14 schools in Hanoi’s Thanh Tri district who had excellent academic achievements, and supported the construction of five charity houses in Thanh Tri district.