HANOI, Vietnam – October 28, 2021

On a street in Pleiku City, Vietnam in 2019, a peaceful city with less than 500,000 people, two 13-year-old girls rode their bicycles to school, a road they had memorized as part of their daily commute. One of those girls, Ngoc, would be tragically killed before ever stepping foot into the classroom.

A few minutes away from the two girls was a bus, traveling at an excessive speed, estimated to have been driving as fast as 60-80 km/hour. A speed, well over what is considered safe in any area — much less a school zone. At this speed, the bus was completely unable to slow down or stop upon approaching the school.

So that no other family would be ripped apart like Ngoc’s, AIP Foundation piloted the Slow Zones, Safe Zones program in Pleiku. In recognition of the life-saving impact of investing in school zone safety, on August 12, 2020, the Gia Lai Provincial People’s Committee issued official document No. 1656/UBND-NC, which calls for Pleiku City authorities to allocate funding for school zone road modifications and further reduce speeds.

The document represents a landmark step towards defining and securing safer school zones in Vietnam, demonstrating the government’s steadfast commitment to protecting children on the roads and the growing potential for Pleiku City to serve as a model city for safe school zones nationwide. We are proud to share that this achievement in Pleiku is now being scaled up to a national level in Vietnam.

At the Safe School Zones Guide Partnership Framework signing ceremony in Hanoi, our Founder and President, Mr. Greig Craft, officially handed over the 2nd Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 Global Plan to Mrs. Kieu Thi Diem, Deputy Director of the Traffic Safety Department at the Ministry of Transport.

AIP Foundation Deputy CEO, Mrs. Hoang Na Huong was also present at the meeting and provided a walkthrough of the Global Plan for the senior officials at the Ministry of Transport. The Global Plan aligns with Vietnam’s National Road Safety Strategy and supports meeting the goals of the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development as part of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.

The Ministry of Transport issued Decision No. 419/QD-BGTVT dated March 18, 2021, approving the implementation plan of the National Strategy to ensure road traffic order and safety during the 2021 – 2030 period with a vision to 2045 with the ultimate goal to annually reduce 5 – 10% of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents in a sustainable way.

All new roads and those under maintenance will meet road safety criteria before opening up for traffic. From 2031 to 2045, the numbers of road accidents, deaths, and injuries relating to road accidents will gradually reduce, toward a “Vision Zero” in which no one will lose their lives on the roads.

From all of us at AIP Foundation, congratulations, Vietnam! We look forward to paving safe roads for life with you.

To view more photos from the handover of the Global Plan, please click here.

To read more about the Global Plan, please click here.

A message from the United Nations:

In September 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 “Improving global road safety”, proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. WHO and the UN regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration, have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action, released in October 2021.

The Global Plan aligns with the Stockholm Declaration, by emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to road safety, and calling on continued improvements in the design of roads and vehicles; enhancement of laws and law enforcement; and provision of timely, life-saving emergency care for the injured. The Global Plan also reflects the Stockholm Declaration’s promotion of policies to promote walking, cycling and using public transport as inherently healthy and environmentally sound modes of transport.

Progress made during the previous Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 has laid the foundation for accelerated action in the years ahead. Among achievements are inclusion of road safety on the global health and development agenda, broad dissemination of scientific guidance on what works, strengthening of partnerships and networks, and mobilization of resources. This new Decade of Action provides an opportunity for harnessing the successes and lessons of previous years and building upon them to save more lives.