ARRB is committed to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020), which seeks to reduce the 1.24 million deaths that are estimated to occur on the world's roads every year. A high proportion of these deaths occur in low and middle income countries, many within the Asia Pacific region . Vulnerable road users (including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclist) are heavily over represented, yet cycles and low powered motorcycles are a primary form of transport in the region for children as well as adults.
It is recognised that helmet use can prevent many child deaths in incidents involving cycles or motorcycles. As a result, since 2012, ARRB has donated $15 from every registration at its knowledge transfer workshops to the Asian Injury Prevention Foundation’s (AIPF) highly regarded ‘Helmets for Kids’ program. This has funded a number of schools in Cambodia and Vietnam to supply every child in the school with a helmet – where such provision would typically be beyond the means of their parents / carers . As well as providing helmets to the students and teachers, activities including training on how to properly wear a helmet for both students and parents, as well as educational murals and other extracurricular activities to promote the initiative take place in the school community. Helmet wearing at ARRB’s supported schools has typically risen to 95-98% and remains high (92-93%) even after 12 months since the helmet presentation.
In 2015 ARRB is proud to increase the donation amount to $25 per workshop registration to further support this life saving initiative.
The Helmets for Kids initiative teaches children safe behaviour around roads. It also encourages them to pass on what they have learnt and to discuss road safety issues with their families. Teachers stress the importance of ‘staying safe’, enabling each and every child to aim high, complete their education, and follow their career of choice.
For information about the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative visit: http://asiainjury.org/our-work/global-helmet-vaccine-initiative/