October 1, 2017
In preparation for implementing its new program in Vietnam, Safety Delivered conducted a baseline survey of 927 students from seven universities in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in order to measure safe motorcycle driving knowledge, attitude, and practice among university students prior program intervention. The assessment determined that, among other key findings, 91.8% of the respondents knew that there is a law banning using a cell phone while driving and 49.5% of the respondents reported knowing there is a law banning listening to audio through earphones while driving. That being said, 79.3% of surveyed students reported having used their phones while driving in the past six months. Common reasons given for mobile phone use while driving include making and receiving a call (67.9%); looking at a map on the phone (67.9%); sending or receiving an SMS text (40.8%); and checking social media (25.9%).
The program will later compare this baseline data with program results in order to measure the impact of activities. The results will also inform the development of the program’s behavior change communications strategy on distracted driving.
Safety Delivered is supported by The UPS Foundation and will be implemented in Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. It will work with young, inexperienced motorcycle drivers to improve their distracted driving behaviors while also working to increase child helmet use. According to the World Health Organization, a driver talking on a mobile phone is four times more likely to be involved in a road crash than one who is not.