DHL push for road safety in Vietnam

Children in Vietnam will now have a reason to smile about with their new yellow helmets, courtesy of DHL.

As part of a campaign to encourage road safety in Vietnam, some 1,700 helmets have been sponsored to the school children of Kim Dong Primary School in Hanoi. This is the latest commitment to Asia Injury Prevention Foundation's (AIPF) Helmets for Kids program by DHL.

So far, the company have contributed a total of 3000 helmets to Kim Dong Primary School and Nguyen Hue Primary School.

According to AIPF, road accidents are one of the fastest-growing causes of sudden death and disability in developing countries. About 1.2 million people are killed annually in road accidents worldwide, with Asia accounting for about 45 percent of fatalities. Injuries from road accidents are now also the second leading cause of death for young people aged 5 - 25 years. Children who ride pillion on motorized two-wheeler vehicles are the most vulnerable, and most at risk of injury, as they are usually unprotected.

Dan McHugh, CEO, DHL Express - Asia Pacific noted: "Research shows that the wearing of proper helmets reduces fatal and serious head injuries by as much as 80 percent. By providing these children with helmets, we want to further protect them from the risk of head injury in the event of road accidents. At the same time, we can also help to defray the cost of the helmet, thus alleviating the financial burden to families."

A recent legislation was introduced by the Vietnam Government on the mandatory use of helmets for motorized two-wheeler vehicles on roads, expecting to reduce the annual road toll of over 12,000 deaths and 30,000 serious injury cases.