Protect Cambodian Children from Brain Injury

Road safety school groups inspire communities to change behavior - 29 April, 2016 - Phnom Penh

During this school year, 18 schools from the provinces of Phnom Penh, Kandal, and Kampong Speu worked to disseminate critical road safety messages as part of a “Schools of Excellence” competition to raise road safety awareness.

Throughout the year, school groups engaged in such activities as the painting of road-safety-themed murals and the distribution of materials aimed to improve both road safety behavior and their school’s infrastructure. Prior to the competition, students and teachers received road safety education training in order to be well-versed on these topics.

An award committee comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Education, the National Road Safety Committee, the National Police, and AIP Foundation recently conducted a second evaluation at the 18 schools. The committee reviewed relevant submitted materials and interviewed teachers and students in addition to surveying the area around the school to observe school murals, the surrounding infrastructure, and safety materials available for students. After gathering the necessary information, the committee will provide information to AIP Foundation to determine the outstanding school in each participating province and to track its progress the following year.

Awards ceremony held to commend schools for commitment to road safety - 19 May, 2016 – Phnom Penh

AIP Foundation, in collaboration with The UPS Foundation, held an awards ceremony to highlight the activities of three exemplary schools from Phnom Penh, Kandal, and Kampong Speu provinces. These three schools were distinguished for their active participation in promoting safe road behaviors with a particular focus on helmet use among their students and teachers and within their broader communities.

For more information on this event, read the press release here.

National officials gather to improve helmet use throughout Cambodia - 31 May, 2016 - Phnom Penh

As part of the Head Safe. Helmet On. project (HSHO), AIP Foundation, in partnership with The UPS Foundation, has convened its third nationwide stakeholder workshop to discuss the state of road safety in the country. The event primarily reflected on the achievements and lessons learned from HSHO, a project aimed at increasing motorcycle passenger helmet use in Cambodia, which ended implementation June 1^st.  It also served as a forum to address the continued challenges facing road users and traffic police following the start in January of the enforcement of the new Road Traffic Law.

 For more information on this event, read the press release here. 

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Manulife Cambodia encourages mothers to invest in road safety

In support of International Women’s Day, which occurred on March 8th, AIP Foundation organized a “Mothers and Helmet Use” forum at Sothearos Primary School. The forum represents a vital part of the Helmets for Families project sponsored by Manulife Cambodia. The mothers in attendance received information about the broader ramifications of the new passenger helmet use law, the toll that road crashes take on society and families, the relationship between helmet use and injury prevention, and the role that mothers have in encouraging helmet use among their family members.

Cambodian civil society representatives renew their call for stricter implementation of the new Road Traffic Law

AIP Foundation, along with six other NGOs working on road safety in Cambodia, have recently re-emphasized their stance on the new Road Traffic Law by updating a joint statement that was previously issued at a press conference in late January and submitting it to the Royal Government of Cambodia. The joint statement urged the government to focus on implementing stringent, targeted law enforcement; retain the license provision for 125cc motorcycle riders; support public awareness campaigns; and, throughout this process, consult key road safety stakeholders as well as the public. The conference was attended by 40 participants and was covered by local and international media as well as a Cambodian TV channel.

AIP Foundation partners with Automobile Association of Cambodia for an inaugural Helmets for Kids ceremony

In March, 404 helmets were donated to students of Trapiang Kork Primary School in Cambodia’s Kampong Cham Province, a school notorious for its high levels of yearly road injuries. This is the first collaboration between AIP Foundation and Automobile Association of Cambodia (AAC), an organization established in 2010 and a member of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

The helmet donation, along with a ceremony and road safety activities, aimed to promote helmet use among students and encourage them to be responsible motorcycle passengers and future drivers. This effort comes at an important time in Cambodian road safety, considering National Road Safety Week is celebrated during the second week of April.

The President of Automobile Association of Cambodia and the CEO of Automobile Association of Singapore, along with other representatives of AAC and several from AIP Foundation, were joined by the Under-Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior, a representative of the Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS), students, teachers, and parents, as well as community members and local authorities.

Training workshop encourages effective road-safety journalism

With the passenger helmet law enforcement scheduled for 1 January 2016, in which motorcyclists will be fined for their passengers who are not wearing helmets, journalists are gearing up to increase awareness and promote helmet use. Media has the unique ability to communicate with the wider public to influence for good—it can play a vital role in cultivating a healthy road safety culture. AIP Foundation, with support from the FIA Foundation, organized a workshop to train journalists on how to best cover road safety topics and on fact-based, public-interest reporting.

The forum was attended by 40 journalists representing print, online, television, and radio media. At the workshop, journalists built upon their knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively cover road safety, specifically focusing on the enforcement of the new passenger helmet law, to better reach the greater community. Participants also drafted a year-long plan of topics and approaches to guide an active, informal network of journalists to promote universal helmet use through media.

U.S. Ambassador urges helmet use in holiday video message

“Every life is valuable, so please work together to stay safe during this holiday season and beyond,” spoke U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, William A.  Heidt as he sat beside his wife on a motorcycle and pointed to his helmet. This concluded a holiday video message for the U.S. Embassy’s social media pages, which received over 1,000 likes.

The Ambassador, who took office in August 2015, displayed important support to road safety by reminding the Cambodian public about the new motorcycle passenger helmet law, especially important as holiday seasons worldwide consistently see spikes in the number of crashes as more people take to the roads to travel or visit loved ones.

Cambodia’s new Road Traffic Law, which took effect January 1st, 2015 on all streets nation-wide, mandates helmet wearing among motorcyclists – drivers and now passengers, too. 

In anticipation of upcoming enforcement of the passenger helmet law, Manulife donates 800 helmets

In celebration of the enforcement of the new passenger helmet law, AIP Foundation, with support from Manulife, donated helmets and raised road safety awareness at a Helmets for Families event at Sothearos Primary School.

Road safety stakeholders, students, teachers, parents, local, and international media representatives attended the event. At the event, 804 helmets were donated to students and teachers at Sothearos Primary School, extra-curricular activities such as a question and answer session on road safety topics, a road crossing simulation corner, and a helmet wearing demonstration were held to raise awareness about the importance of quality helmet use and of practicing safe road behavior.

The event welcomed the enforcement of the passenger helmet law, which was scheduled to begin on 1 January, 2016—traffic police will begin fining anyone found driving a motorcycle or riding as a passenger without a helmet. While the law includes passengers, the final sub-decree does not include child passengers in enforcement. Failing to include children in the law’s enforcement leaves children vulnerable to injury and/or death in the event of a crash.

Road safety school groups inspire their community to be safer road users

Last month, 18 schools from Phnom Penh, Kandal, and Kampong Speu completed disseminating road safety messages as part of a “schools of excellence” competition to raise road safety awareness.

Throughout the year, school groups arranged road safety murals and distributed materials to help improve road safety behavior and their school’s surrounding infrastructure. To take part in the competition, students and teachers received road safety education training.

In August, an award committee, comprised of representatives from the National Road Safety Committee, National Police, Ministry of Education, and AIP Foundation evaluated the 18 schools. The committee reviewed relevant documents and interviewed teachers and students. Afterwards, the committee surveyed the area around the school to observe school murals, the surrounding infrastructure, and safety materials available for students to cross the road.

After gathering the necessary information, the committee will provide information to AIP Foundation to determine the outstanding school in each participating province and to track its progress the following year. Evaluating successful schools is important in developing improved implementation guidelines and to determine best practices in order to cultivate safe road environments for all students.

AIP Foundation gathers stakeholders from across Cambodia to discuss passenger helmet enforcement

AIP Foundation held its second nationwide stakeholder workshop as part of the “Head Safe. Helmet On.” project. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the enforcement of the passenger helmet law, especially to include children, scheduled to begin from January 1st, 2016.

The workshop gathered approximately 30 participants from government institutions and the private sector. Among the attendees were representatives of the General Secretariat of the National Road Safety Committee and of the Department of Order, Ministry of Interior. At the event, AIP Foundation presented information on the project’s recent progress, challenges faced thus far, and recommendations for the second year of the initiative.

Group discussions focused on the law and its sub-decree that mandates penalties for un-helmeted passengers, and particularly the importance of including children in the new traffic law. Also discussed were the national- and district-level passenger helmet enforcement action plans, which are currently in their draft phase.

AIP Foundation hosts second commune-wide meeting on road safety

Under the “Head Safe. Helmet On.” (HSHO) project, AIP Foundation organized a second commune-wide meeting which attracted 45 participants in Chba Ampov District, Phnom Penh. The participants included commune road safety groups from the three targeted communes, district governmental officials, and media representatives.

At the meeting, AIP Foundation reviewed commune-based activity plans and presented the progress, challenges, and recommendations for future HSHO activities. Chba Ampov’s District Governor attended and gave welcoming remarks to participants, delivering key messages for group discussion and highlighted the importance of promoting a better road safety environment.

Police visit students on International Children’s Day to emphasize safe road behaviors

Traffic police in Cambodia visited schools on June 1 to speak to students about road safety for International Children’s Day. Five police officers visited each of AIP Foundation’s 18 project schools under the “Head Safe. Helmet On.” project to discuss proper pedestrian and road user safety, including helmet use and the importance of wearing a helmet.

In total, 90 police officers visited students at schools over three weeks. “On this special day, we highlight the important value children have in our society as well as their vulnerability as road users. We are grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate to students how important their health and safety is,” said Mr. Ky Koun Cham Bak, School Principal.

In addition to motorcycle safety and correct helmet use, police officers instructed students on proper pedestrian and bicycle safety skills. Students and officers participated in a traffic safety simulation corner near schools to practice these skills in a safe environment.

International Children's Day is observed across the world to promote the welfare of children. “Children have the right to protection, health, and safety, including safety from road crashes. It is our duty to ensure the children understand how to stay safe when commuting on the roads and it is our responsibility to provide this education,” said Mr. Say Set, Samrong Torng District police.

Road safety education focuses on mothers and their children

AIP Foundation organized a second “Mothers and Helmet Use” forum at Anuk Wat Primary School. Mothers received information on their role in promoting road safety and encouraging helmet use among family members. The forum is a component of the Helmets for Families project sponsored by Manulife.

Mothers learned about the impacts of road crashes on society and their families, the relationship between helmet use and injury prevention, and received information about the new Road Traffic Law. Students also received this information at a police training on June 25. On June 19 and 26, volunteers reached the community surrounding the school to further spread road safety awareness. These additional activities helped to reinforce key messages to children and their families.

“This includes traveling on the roads. Our project engages mothers to ensure the entire family supports the life-saving benefits of wearing a helmet. We want mothers to remind their children to be safe on the roads, and children to do the same to their families,” said Mr. Pagna Kim, AIP Foundation Country Director in Cambodia. “We encourage every parent to obey the traffic law and always keep your children safe with a helmet.”

“I believe if every parent knew this essential information— that practicing safe road behaviors and wearing proper helmets can save lives—more children would have helmets on. We want to engage as many parents as possible to be role models for their children. Protect your children’s’ lives: parents, put a helmet on your child,” said said Mr. Hem Chalna Representative of Department of Order from Commissariat of National Police.

Mid-term assessment on behavior change campaign starts 

AIP Foundation started a mid-term assessment to measure the effectiveness of its campaign to affect positive changes in the knowledge, attitude, and practice of motorcycle passengers across three target provinces in Cambodia – Kandal, Kampong Speu, and Phnom Penh. The behavior change assessment comes after one year of the “Head Safe. Helmet On.” project implementation and is scheduled to take place from the end of July to early September 2015. More than 400 respondents from the target provinces will participate in the assessment. Its findings will be used to inform the project’s second year and improve commercials and other communication materials.

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