Bangkok--26 Sep--Asia Injury Prevention Foundation
Students and teachers of Wat Sommanat School in Bangkok received a total of 317 helmets from Vespiario (Thailand) Co., Ltd.. The helmet donation launched Vespiario’s partnership with the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation on the Helmets for Kids program to increase helmet use and reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries among children in Wat Somnas, Bangkok province.
Wat Sommanat community is located in Wat Sommanat sub-district, which has a large population, most of whom are vendors in nearby local markets. The majority of students from Wat Sommanat School commute to and from school by motorcycle without wearing helmets. Some students walk to school on a 4-meter-wide main road without police or volunteers to help them cross the busy road. These students are therefore in danger of being victims of road traffic crashes.
“Vespiario realizes the importance of reducing road dangers for children, beginning with increasing the number of children who wear helmets on the road. Nowadays, there are millions of Thai kids who travel on motorcycles without wearing helmets. This results in a multitude of severe road crashes. In response to this critical problem, Vespiario donated 10,000 helmets to children aged 3 to 12 years old at the beginning of 2012. It is currently continuing its support through the project “Help save one life by giving a child a helmet.” For this project, Vespiario is working with AIP Foundation to donate helmets to children in Bangkok who need them the most.” — Khun Pornada Tejapaibul, Managing Director of Vespiario (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Despite national traffic law mandating helmet use for motorcycle drivers and passengers, only 43 percent of motorcyclists wear helmets on Thailand’s roads. Among children, helmet use falls to only eight percent. Many families ignore the requirement due to a lack of concern about road safety. Helmets for Kids engages parents to impress upon them the importance of protecting their children from road injury; and at the same time, educates children on road safety and how wearing helmets can save their lives.
PR Dept.
Asia Injury Prevention Foundation
T. 02 676 0274
[email protected]