Go home safely campaign launched to protect children

Traffic accident is the second major reason behind child fatalities in Vietnam after drowning, said Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan at the launching ceremony, which was jointly held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Lam said that traffic accidents resulted in 50 percent of deaths among adolescents and youngsters aged 15-19.

She stressed that road accident-stemmed injuries in children can be avoided through raising public awareness of traffic safety regulations and law.

Wearing helmets is an effective way to protect children, as it can reduce 40 percent of death risks and 70 percent risks of serious injuries in children, she stated, adding that if drivers slow down their average speed by only 5 percent, fatal accidents will be reduced by 30 percent.

Meanwhile, Yoshimi Nishino, UNICEF Acting Chief Representative in Vietnam noted that every year, about 2,000 people die of traffic accidents, including 500 children, worldwide. One child dies every four minutes in road, while 50 percent of traffic accident victims are pedestrians, bicycle and motorbike riders, she added.

In Vietnam, the National Committee for Traffic Safety reported that in 2016, traffic accidents killed nearly 9,000 people and dozens of thousands of others injured, said Yoshimi Nishino.

She lauded Vietnam’s efforts for proactively implementing global road safety initiatives with specific steps in building effective traffic law.

The UNICEF official called for the community to wear helmets for both adults and children when riding bicycles and motorbikes, and speed down when crossing areas crowded with children.

At the event, representatives of ministries, sectors, localities, schools, parents and students signed commitments to wear helmets and drive slowly for children’s safety.