National and Local Governments in Central Viet Nam Receive Two International Awards for Prioritizing Safe School Zones
National and local governments in Viet Nam were awarded in recognition of their initiation of the Slow Zones, Safe Zones policy, and the resulting infrastructure improvements and reductions in speed limits conducted in partnership with AIP Foundation, supported by Fondation Botnar, under the Botnar Child Road Safety Challenge, the Global Road Safety Partnership, iRAP, the FIA and the FIA Foundation.
Saul Billingsley, Executive Director at the FIA Foundation shared, “These prestigious awards recognize the commitment to road safety of the Vietnamese government at national, regional and city level. The Slow Zones, Safe Zones interventions in Pleiku clearly demonstrate that low traffic speeds, combined with safe infrastructure design, are the best way to protect children on their vital school journey. We hope that children across Viet Nam will benefit as this evidence is translated into national action.”
These measures save lives by reducing speeds in school zones and are now a model for safe school zones throughout Viet Nam. For the impressive work and joint efforts made on the national and local governments levels, a ceremony took place on September 21, in Hanoi for them to receive not one, but two highly prestigious international awards:
- Prince Michael International Road Traffic Safety Award 2020 to the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). This award is the recognition of the organizations’ great contribution to the improvement of road safety around the world. Though initially awarded in November 2020, due to the pandemic, the annual ceremony did not take place.
- International Vision Zero for Youth Leadership Award 2022 to the Gia Lai Province People’s Committee and Pleiku City People’s Committee. This award recognizes noteworthy road safety practices that can inspire other cities to take bold steps to reach zero traffic deaths among children and youth in their communities. Nancy Pullen-Seufert, Director, National Center for Safe Routes to School, UNC Highway Safety Research Center shared, “By recognizing the outstanding achievements of this city and province, we hope to inspire other places to take bold steps to reach zero traffic deaths among children and youth in their communities too.”
Mr Do Viet Hung, Chairman of Pleiku People’s Committee, shared: “It is a great honor that Pleiku City, Gia Lai Province, and Viet Nam, are recognized internationally for the efforts we are making to protect our children. Viet Nam takes at heart ensuring a bright future for them with our National Road Safety Strategy, following the goals of the 2021-2030 Decade of Action for Road Safety. Thanks to the Slow Zones, Safe Zones programme, we have proven that Pleiku City can be a model city for safe school zones in our country, as well as a replicable model not only nationwide, but also in South-East Asia.”
“We are truly humbled and honored to receive these two awards today. Every child in Viet Nam deserves to travel safely to and from school, without dangers and without risks. It means a great deal to us that our mission not only resonates with the international community, but is also receiving such distinguished recognition from the road safety field,” shared leaders from the National Traffic Safety Committee.
The work that started in Pleiku City forms a model that can be replicated both in national and global contexts. Key elements include using evidence-based systems for data collection—such as the iRAP Star Rating for Schools app—developing local capacity in applying these technologies, forming partnerships across the public and private sector, launching awareness campaigns designed to mobilize the public, and demonstrating the proven value of investing in road safety to governments. The Slow Zones, Safe Zones programme’s holistic approach benefits the youngest people across Viet Nam to keep them safe when traveling to access education and build their future.
Greig Craft, Founder and President of AIP Foundation, shared, “AIP Foundation is proud that Slow Zones, Safe Zones has been recognized with the Prince Michael International Road Traffic Safety Award 2020 and the International Vision Zero for Youth Leadership Award 2022. Youth is at the heart of our work towards vision zero for global road safety and equal access to mobility. We need to safeguard and empower our next generation to create a future that serves everyone equally.”
