PHNOM PENH Province, Cambodia - March 2, 2012

The Asia Injury Prevention (AIP Foundation) launched a helmet donation project at York Batr Primary School in Phnom Penh. The launch featured the symbolic handover of 180 helmets from the sponsor, Diversey Hygiene to the Kindergarten’s and first grade’s students. In addition to speeches by key government officials, the ceremony featured Stefan Phang from Diversey Hygiene delivering helmet wearing instructions, conducting a magic show, and watching students perform on stage. This event demonstrated the Royal Government of Cambodia’s firm commitment to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020).

York Batr primary school is located along the highly dangerous, traffic dense  national road 1, which puts students at great risk during their daily commutes to and from school. Given that low helmet wearing rates are endemic throughout Cambodia (preliminary research shows that only 8 percent of passengers-including children- wear helmets), the students of York Batr Primary School urgently needed an intervention to keep them safe on their commutes to and from school. The helmets protect them from unpredictable accidents and the trainings alert them to the dangers of the road.

In July 2011, AIP Foundation and the National Road Safety Committee, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, and General Commissariat of National Police donated 453 helmets to students and teachers of York Batr Primary School. This week’s helmet donation by Diversey Hygiene consisted of a top-up of helmets to the newest incoming classes, and to older students who had outgrown, broken, or lost theirs.