PRESS RELEASE

June 1, 2009

Give a Gift of Safety on Children’s Day

Ha Noi, 1 June 2009 – Today, on Vietnam’s Children’s Day, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael W. Michalak joined with others from the diplomatic and international organizations community to urge parents and adults in Vietnam to put helmets on their children whenever they travel on motorcycles.

Road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death and disability in Vietnamese children, and experts estimate that more than 4,000 children are tragically killed and many thousands more seriously injured on the roads each year.  The vast majority of these terrible incidents are related to motorcycles.

“Protecting our children must always be a top priority,” said Ambassador Michalak, “and helmets save lives.  So it’s simple – children shouldn’t get on a motorbike without a helmet.” 

Parents and adults must also be role models to their children and always wear helmets themselves.  Last week's expert discussions on child helmet wearing hosted by the Ministry of Transport highlighted the consensus of both national and international experts that children of all ages should be wearing helmets.   Viet Nam is one of only three countries in the world where helmet standards have been developed especially with the requirements of children in mind. This should provide parents with confidence that it is necessary for children to wear a helmet each and every time they travel on a motorcycle.