SONGKHLA, Thailand – May 16, 2025

The Chevron Street Wise program hosted a series of events empowering youth as part of the 8th United Nations Global Road Safety Week 2025 (UNGRSW). The 8th UNGRSW offers an opportunity to spur action at national and local levels to make walking and cycling safe, by highlighting concrete and specific interventions that can be taken by different stakeholders – governments, international agencies, civil society, businesses, and schools.

These actions will help promote and facilitate a shift to walking and cycling, which are more healthy, greener, sustainable, and economically advantageous modes of transport. This will also contribute, directly and indirectly, to the attainment of many Sustainable Development Goals (World Health Organization 2025).

In support of this global event, new trainings of Youth Road Safety Ambassadors at Woranari Chaolem school and an Urban Design Competition under the theme of Road Safety ‘Street Furniture’ took place. Both activities were supported by a wide range of partners and stakeholders coming together to safeguard young people on the roads. These UNGRSW events mark a major milestone in reinforcing road safety education for youth through interactive learning experiences.

A Commitment to Safer Roads for Youth in Thailand

Road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with nearly 1.2 million people killed and as many as 50 million people injured each year. Thailand continues to face pressing road safety challenges, particularly for young and vulnerable road users. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road traffic injuries remain a leading cause of death for children and young adults (5-29 years old) globally. In addition, more than 1 in every 4 deaths occurs among pedestrians and cyclists around the world.

In Thailand, according to a Ministry of Public Health report assessing the impact of road crashes between 2011 to 2019, over 26,000 children had died in a motorcycle crash and 265,758 were injured on the roads. The main victims were the age group of 15-19 years, followed by the age group of 10-14 years. Among them, 72% learned to drive a motorcycle from family members and friends, 87% did not pass the safety training, 86% did not have a driving license, and 55% had motorcycle crashes on 100-110 CC. Recognizing this, the Chevron Street Wise program is dedicated to equipping students with essential road safety knowledge and practical skills to navigate roads safely.

Urban Design Competition for Safer Streets

As part of the UNGRSW 2025, the Faculty of Architecture at Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RUTS) held a design competition featuring 11 student projects focused on innovative‘street furniture’ concepts. These urban design elements, such as benches, signposts, and safety features, aim to enhance public spaces and promote pedestrian safety.

The competition theme, ‘Make Walking Safe,’ was inspired by the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week  to improve road safety and walkability around the world. Students were encouraged to incorporate local identity and safety awareness into their designs. The judging was conducted by architecture professors from RUTS.

The winning project will be brought to life as a full-scale prototype and displayed in front of Woranari Chaloem school. All other entries will be showcased in a public exhibition, where students will present scaled-down models of their designs to attendees, including government officials and community stakeholders.

“As an energy company, safety is our top priority, not only in our operations but also in the safety of the communities in every area we operate. Because we believe that safety is the foundation of a good quality of life, Chevron has been working with the AIP Foundation and the Songkhla Road Safety Center through Chevron Street Wise Project since 2014. To date, we have helped more than 8,000 students gain the knowledge and skills needed to use the road safely. At the same time, more than two million people have benefited from our ongoing campaign and communication activities. Today’s event reflects our important intention to create a sustainable and safe society,” shares Ms. Pornsuree Konanta, Corporate Affairs Manager, at Chevron Thailand.

Training of the next generation of Road Safety Ambassadors

Road Safety Week has long formed a part of the core activities of the Chevron Street Wise program. As part of the UNGRSW,AIP Foundation brought together more than 1,000 students, educators, media representatives, and government stakeholders at Woranari Chaloem School. A training event was held to promote road safety awareness among young people, helping to empower the next generation of road safety ambassadors of theChevron Street Wiseprogram.

The event was chaired by Mr. Chotnarin Kerdsom, Governor of Songkhla Province. He shared, “in order to be in line with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, organizing, I am prould to see the UN Global Road Safety Week campaign, as initiated by the program to promote Woranari Chalerm School as a model school for secondary road safety in Songkhla Province, and through this we will be able to promote safety awareness among students and help create awareness for all community members, which will lead to behavioral changes, which will result in reducing the severity of injuries and deaths.”

The training opened with a speech by a representative of Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production Co., Ltd., and a welcome address by the Director of Woranari Chaloem School. A helmet handover ceremony followed, emphasizing the importance of quality helmets, while the Songkhla Provincial Public Health Office conducted a safe driving training session to equip students with essential knowledge and skills for staying safe on the roads.

“Road Safety Week 2025 is more than just an event for us, it’s an opportunity to instill lifelong skills in our students,” said Mr. Wirut Chusin, Principal of Woranari Chaloem School. “By engaging young people through hands-on learning and community collaboration, we empower them to become responsible citizens who value safety for themselves and others on the road and beyond.”