GIA LAI, Vietnam and NEW YORK CITY, United States – June 12, 2024

Bloomberg Philanthropies has recognized the Pleiku People’s Committee in Gia Lai, Vietnam, as an inaugural winner of the Awards for Excellence in Road Safety for its work to identify and promote exemplary road safety efforts. The awards program, held in New York City, was launched as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety, which has worked in partnership with international and local organizations and governments to improve road safety and save lives by focusing on five key areas: strengthening national legislation; enhancing data collection and surveillance; changing road user behavior; improving road infrastructure; and upgrading vehicle safety.

“Millions of road fatalities and injuries each year could be prevented with stronger laws, better infrastructure, and more efficient enforcement,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, 108th mayor of New York City, and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. “Bloomberg Philanthropies works closely with international partners who are leading the way in implementing these policies, and to shine a spotlight on their progress and the need for more of it, we’re hosting the first-ever Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Excellence in Road Safety. The awards will highlight the policies and political courage that can help governments make more of the world’s roads safer."

In Vietnam, over 17 million children commute between home and school 2-4 times daily. Many children share the road with speeding trucks, with no sidewalks to walk on going to school. Alarmingly, traffic speeds around schools frequently and significantly exceed internationally recommended school zones’ speed limits.

Pleiku People’s Committee was commended for its groundbreaking work through the Slow Zones, Safe Zones (SZSZ) program, implemented in collaboration with the nonprofit AIP Foundation and international partners, that reduced the school zone speed limit to 30 kph as part of a comprehensive approach, which has gained national traction. In addition to covering 31 primary schools in Pleiku City, officials will implement infrastructure modifications at 13 schools across other regions of the country to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach to local leaders.

“We’re honored to receive this award recognizing our efforts to improve road safety,” said Do Viet Hung – Chairman of Pleiku People’s Committee. “We’re committed to continuing to make roads in our city safer for our people.”

The Slow Zones, Safe Zones program aimed to improve the safety of students’ journeys to and from schools. As part of the Botnar Child Road Safety Challenge, the program was supported by Fondation Botnar, the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), and the SZSZ program already benefited 130,492 direct beneficiaries and 16,189,096 indirect beneficiaries.

Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals global agenda and the need to #rethinkmobility, SZSZ increasingly encouraged students and their families to use sustainable means of transport – paving the way for healthier and greener cities as well as promoting safe and sustainable mobility. At its heart, the work that started in Pleiku City is a model that can be replicated both in national and global contexts to safeguard children around the world.

“The success of road safety initiatives in Pleiku City serves as a model for Vietnam, inspiring similar efforts nationwide. The comprehensive approach, coupled with tangible outcomes like reduced speeds and improved safety ratings, underscores the effectiveness of strategies implemented. Through partnerships at local, provincial, and national levels, the program’s impact extends countrywide. The model established in Pleiku City is replicable on both national and global scales, reflecting years of impactful work through the Slow Zones, Safe Zones program. These achievements are the groundwork for sustainable changes benefiting Pleiku City and Vietnam as a whole,” shared Mirjam Sidik, Chief Executive Officer at AIP Foundation.