AIP Foundation, in collaboration with the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) and Australian Aid, launched a helmet campaign in advance of the Pchum Ben Festival, a holiday period that sees a spike in road crash injuries and fatalities. In 2016, according to preliminary reports by police, there were 26 deaths and 149 injuries resulting from road crashes over the five-day Pchum Ben holiday period. The helmet campaign is part of the Head Safe. Helmet On. program, which aims to address the consistently low rates of helmet use in Cambodia through three mutually-reinforcing components: providing helmets and road safety education to primary school students, improving passenger helmet use behavior through mass media and street- and commune-based campaigns, and supporting the government in enforcing the helmet law for passengers.

Over 300 guests attended the event, including representatives from private sector partners, program universities, media outlets, as well as members of the Young Ambassadors for Road Safety (YARS) program and the general public. During the ceremony, 248 helmets were donated to targeted members of the community, including youth and taxi drivers. In addition, 180 road safety advocates participated in parades across Siem Reap Province to spread awareness about road safety and helmet use.

View more photos from the ceremony here.

Read the full press release here.