BANGKOK, Thailand - January 9, 2014

On January 9, 2014, AIP Foundation handed over 140 helmets to students of Thai Rath Wittaya 75 Primary School in Bangkok. At the helmet handover ceremony, students received high-quality helmets kindly donated by Vespiario (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and AIP Foundation staff conducted a training on proper helmet use, followed by remarks from representatives from the Royal Thai Police and the Office of The Basic Education Commission.

The ceremony marked the end of an experimental trial of police enforcement of helmet wearing at the school. During the two week trial, police officers from the local command patrolled the school’s entrance to enforce students’ helmet wearing. Students’ response to the extra police presence was measured through helmet observations and focus group discussions.

This is just one of five pilot projects resulting from a partnership between Save the Children, AIP Foundation, the Global Road Safety Partnership, and CSR Asia. These pilots are intended to gauge the efficacy of innovative measures to increase child helmet use in order to build an effective campaign in Thailand. Experimental trials are occurring throughout Bangkok from November 2013 to January 2014 and funded by the FIA Foundation and the Road Safety Fund.