General Motors Vietnam (GM Vietnam) and AIP Foundation, in collaboration with Vietnam’s National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), have kicked off a “Protect Your Precious” campaign in HCMC to promote the use of child safety seats and the importance of seat belts for children.
A parent learns how to install a child safety seat in a car at the launching ceremony of the Protect Your Precious campaign in HCMC - PHOTO: HUNG LE
The launching ceremony was attended by more than 100 teachers, parents and students from primary schools in the city. Similar campaigns were carried out in Hanoi on April 1 and Danang on April 8.
At the event, parents and their children actively participated in road safety games for kids and a knowledge-sharing workshop run by NTSC experts. In addition, a viral video and a campaign song named “The Precious”, composed by musician Doan Nhuoc Quy, helped actively spread the message and remind parents of ensuring safety for their children.
“GM Vietnam is conducting this campaign to join the Government’s effort for ensuring the safety of young vehicle passengers through 2018 National Traffic Safety Year, whose theme is Traffic Safety for Children,” said Ian Nicholls, president of GM Southeast Asia.
With the theme “Back seat. Buckled up”, the Protect Your Precious campaign is aimed at preventing unnecessary deaths and injuries among children by raising public awareness of the significance of child safety seats and seat belts as well as emphasizing parents’ responsibility for keeping their children safe when traveling by car.
According to AIP Foundation, road crashes in Vietnam cause around 22,400 fatalities and more than 453,000 injuries a year, which result in an annual loss of an estimated US$3 billion.
Children are particularly vulnerable. In Vietnam, 2,000 children die from road crashes a year. This is the second leading cause of death for Vietnamese children between the ages of five and 14.
For children, wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent deaths and serious injuries in a vehicle crash. People not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash. More than 75% of people who are ejected during a fatal crash die from injuries.
“As Vietnam’s economy continues to grow, so too will the number of families who own cars and use them as their main mode of transport. In order to protect our children and continue promoting a culture of road safety, we must encourage safe habits for all road users, whether it’s wearing a helmet or buckling a seatbelt,” said Greig Craft, president of AIP Foundation.
With the support of the U.S. Embassy and Government agencies, the campaign is expected to include the participation of more than 700 parents in the three cities and benefit more than 76,000 people across Vietnam.
The Saigon Times