BANGKOK, Thailand - May 6, 2015

Today, as part of Third UN Global Road Safety Week themed #SaveKidsLives, AIP Foundation and Save the Children have presented more than 12,000 pledged signatures to M. R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the Governor of Bangkok. The petition calls for schools in the Bangkok metropolitan area to have a greater role in raising road safety awareness and establishing a helmet wearing policy for all students.

Every day, more than 1.3 million children in Thailand travel by motorcycle. Surprisingly, only 7% wear helmets. To address this issue, AIP Foundation and Save the Children launched a road safety campaign in 2014 called The 7% Project. The presetnation of the pledges is the next step of the campaign that has received widespread media and public attention.

Furthermore, AIP Foundation and Save the Children are preparing a pilot project called “Behavior changes in students.” The project includes comprehensive training courses for teachers and parents, which aims to establish schools as a main hub and connection point for road safety awareness, beginning with the Bangkok metropolitan area.