Students from Ba Dinh Primary School in Hanoi, Vietnam took a walk with AIP Foundation, Miss. Vietnam runner-up 2008 Thuy Van, and members of the Hanoi Traffic Safety Committee (TSC). The event, sponsored by the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, is part of the worldwide ‘Long Short Walk’ campaign.

According to the World Health Organization, pedestrians account for 22 percent of road traffic fatalities around the world. From May 6-12, the United Nations marks its second Global Road Safety Week by focusing on pedestrians. In line with this theme, the ‘Long Short Walk’ has been launched as part of the Zenani Mandela Campaign, led by the Mandela Family, the Make Roads Safe Campaign, and the Road Safety Fund.

“Each year, thousands of pedestrians lose their lives on Vietnamese roads, while more are left with injuries or permanent disabilities,” said Lotte Brondum, AIP Foundation Director of International Development. “Our Long Short Walk highlights the need to improve conditions for pedestrians in Hanoi and across Vietnam. AIP Foundation is calling on road planners, traffic management authorities, and motorists to prioritize vulnerable road users, especially children.”

The participants in the Long Short Walk expressed their personal aspirations for improved road safety in placards carried on the walk from Ba Dinh Primary School to the Hanoi Botanic Gardens.

Read the press release in English and Vietnamese. And check out the photos!