UPDATE OF JOINT POLICY RECOMMENDATION:“MOTORCYCLE PASSENGERS, INCLUDING CHILDREN, MUST WEAR HELMETS”JUNE 21, 2013

Situation in Cambodia

1,905 road traffic fatalities occurred in 2011, twice the

figure from 2005.

69% of motorcycle crash victims suffered head injuries, and among them, only 29%

wore a helmet as a driver and only 6% as a passenger.

Cambodia has the highest rate (10.0) of road fatalities

per 10,000 registered vehicles comparing to Lao PDR (7.9) and Vietnam (3.0), in 2011.

Government Efforts

Endorsed “One helmet. One life” campaign in 2010 appealing to all drivers and passengers to wear helmets every time they ride a motorcycle

Joined a global initiative to adopt the UN Resolution for the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020)

National Road Safety Policy and ten-year Action Plan (2011-2020)

Draft land traffic law (helmets for passengers including children….)

Road Safety as a priority in updated NSDP (2009-2013) and in Safe Village and Commune Policy in 2012

Why Joint Policy Recommendation?

Appropriate helmet use saves lives:

Reduces risk of

severe head injuryby:

↓

↓

69%

42%

Reduces risk of

fatality by:

While drivers are required by law to wear a helmet, no mandatory helmet law for

PASSENGERS exists.

Over 80 percent of drivers but fewer than 10 percent of

passengers including children wore helmets in 2011.

But many Cambodians are unprotected:

Background

On January 10, 2013, AIP Foundation submitted the joint policy recommendation “motorcycle passengers, including children, must wear helmets” to H.E Minister of Public Works and Transport and Chairperson of the National Road Safety Committee.

The Coalition for Road Safety (CRY) and and Handicap International (HI) agreed to collaborate by jointly issuing the policy recommendation.

Objectives

To appeal to the government and relevant stakeholders to adopt legislation that will increase safety on the roads in Cambodia and save lives

To raise awareness among private sector companies, civil society organizations, media agencies, and the public about helmet wearing for drivers and passengers including children.

Endorsements

Over 100 stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, and international community have endorsed the joint policy recommendation.

Over 4,000 members of the public have shown their support for the draft passenger helmet mandate via online networks and petition signatures.

AIP Foundation, CRY, and HI continue collecting more endorsements among the private sector, civil society, and international community and the public.

Recommendations

1. Executive and Legislative Branches

2. Local authorities

3. Media agencies

4. Civil society organizations and private sector companies

5. Citizens

Executive and Legislative Branches

Approve the National Road Safety Policy and ten-year Action Plan, of which a key target is to increase helmets use to 100 percent among all motorcyclists

Expedite the review and approval process for a new draft traffic law addressing people’s needs, in which motorcycle passengers, including children, are mandated to wear helmets

Widely disseminate and strictly enforce the new traffic law once it comes into effect

Local authorities

Disseminate information about the need to wear a helmet as either motorcycle passenger or driver whenever referring about the Safe Village-Commune Policy

Media agencies

Promote road safety and spread information about helmet use through all types of media, particularly programs that appeal to youth

Air programs and advertisements that promote road safety message, such as consistent helmet use

Civil society and the private sectors

Develop and review internal policy to encourage staff and families to respect traffic laws and to always wear a helmet on a motorcycle

For those manufacturing or selling motorcycles, consider providing helmets for free to driver, passengers and at least to one child for every purchase

Citizens

Continue to remind your family to respect the traffic law and to always wear a helmet when travelling on the road

Put a helmet on your passengers, including children, as a simple act of care

Raising Awareness

Published in leading newspapers:1. Cambodia Daily News2. Rasmey Kampuchia3. Koh Santhepheap4. Phnom Penh Post5. Kampuchia Thmey

Printed as a booklet in English and Khmer

Statement was discussed and shared at the Radio Talk Show, National Road Safety Week and other events

Case Studies

Mandatory helmet laws for adult in Vietnam resulted in a 12% reduction in fatalities and 24% reduction in injuries within one year of implementation*.

In Thailand, mandatory helmet legislation in Khon Kaen province led to a 40% reduction in head injuries among motorcyclists and a 24% drop in motorcyclist deaths within two years**.

In Cambodia, it is estimated that 348 lives were saved and 1,595 serious injuries were prevented in 2009 after the enactment and enforcement of its helmet law. This translates into total savings of over $33 million USD for 2009 (<$12 million USD for fatalities and <$20 million USD for serious injuries). 

*http://www.helmetvaccine.org/target_countries/vietnam.html** http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr44/en/

Next steps

Published in leading website news (Online news)

Joint policy recommendation will continue to be:

Discussed via radio talk-show programs

It will be submitted again to National Road Safety Committee, National Police and other relevant committees or stakeholders.

Advocacy and lobbying activities will continue with efforts focusing on private sector and government and legislative bodies commitment.

Asia Injury Prevention FoundationKIM Pagna (Mr.) #18BEo, St. 348., Phnom Penh, Cambodia (855) 23 996 519pagna.kim@aipf-cambodia.org

Coalition for Road SafetyLIM Sokchea (Ms.) #36C, St 270, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (855) 23 555 1583lim.sokchea@crysafety.org.kh

Handicap InternationalEAR Chariya (Mr.) #9AB, Street 446,Phnom Penh, Cambodia (855) 23 217 298rs.mgr@hicambodia.org

Thank you!