BANGKOK, Thailand - May 9, 2013

On May 1, 2013, more than 180 young students, teachers, parents, school administrators, and government officials from Pasri Chareon District of Bangkok, as well as representatives from the international community, joined the Long Short Walk campaign event, organized by AIP Foundation and funded by the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety. The Long Short Walk is a global movement taking place in countless countries around the world to make roads safer for the most vulnerable among us, especially pedestrians.

Road traffic injuries kill more children between the ages of 5-14 than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria and are the leading cause of death among teens ages 15-19. Each year, more than 133,000 children between the ages of 5 – 14 die on roads in developing countries, often times on their way to and from school.

Pedestrians account for 22 percent of road traffic fatalities around the world. This May the United Nations marks its second Global Road Safety Week by focusing on pedestrians. In line with this theme, the Long Short Walk campaign highlights the need to prioritize safe walking, co-organized by the Zenani Mandela campaign, the Make Roads Safe campaign, and the Global Road Safety Fund in partnership with the World Health Organization, and NGOs around the world.

The May 1stevent in Bangkok featured a walk along the streets in the community of Pasri Chareon which is known as a heavy traffic area with a few stops at the key locations to spread the message to passersby. AIP Foundation will contribute photos and video to the Long Short Walk organizers in an effort to document the campaign’s reach.