AIP celebrates over ten years of helmet safety progress in Vietnam

ABO/NDO- As part of the expanding legacy of the Helmets for Kids programme in Vietnam, which is supported by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and in collaboration with the National Traffic Safety Committee and the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, a helmet handover ceremony was held at Kim Anh High School in Hanoi on May 4.

In December 2022, AIP Foundation pioneered helmet safety standards innovation by bringing the first United Nations ECE-22.05 Standard helmets to Vietnam through this programme, and 1,640 ECE-22.05 helmets have been distributed to students.

Kim Anh High School is located on a provincial road that is often plagued by heavy traffic. The area outside the school exposes high risks for road crashes. Most students commute to and from school by motorbikes and electric bikes daily.

President of AIP Foundation Greig Craft presents helmets to students.

At the handover ceremony that took place earlier today, the United Nations ECE-22 6.0 Standard helmets were distributed to 1,500 students. The helmets were produced by Protec, AIP Foundation’s social enterprise. The helmets make a life-saving difference for vulnerable students on their way to and from school in Hanoi. Wearing a quality helmet can reduce the risk of death by 42% and the risk of serious brain injury by 69%.

To encourage road safety and raise awareness on the importance of wearing a helmet, President of AIP Foundation Greig Craft, and representatives from Johnson & Johnson facilitated a helmet-fitting activity and engaged the students in road safety activities and games. This was an opportunity for every child at the school and local governments and the community to learn through educational activities.

“Our partnership with AIP Foundation has spanned over a decade, and we are proud to share that from 2012 to 2022, Helmets for Kids reached 104 schools across 9 provinces in Vietnam, providing over 79,076 helmets to children – saving an estimated 882 students and teachers from potential brain injury. This year, our focus remains on vulnerable communities in Hanoi's suburbs, ensuring every child, every student, has a safe journey to and from school,” said General Director of Vietnam J&J Le Chi Thuy Dung.

AIP Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to preventing road injuries and fatalities in low and middle-income countries. For over 20 years, AIP Foundation has been delivering effective road safety programs in locations across Asia and Africa.

(Source: NDO)