PHNOM PENH, Cambodia— January 17, 2023

Every year, many families all around Cambodia gather around for the informal lunar new year celebrations. It is a time for family, and friends, feasting and celebrating the New Year that is yet to come. During this time, however, the roads become more dangerous as people venture out in a hurry to travel, finish tier preparations for the holiday and make it home in time.

In 2022, twenty-five people were tragically killed, and 49 were seriously injured in road crashes over the three-day Lunar New Year celebrations, as reported in the statistics released by the Traffic Police and Public Order Department from the General Commissariat of National Police.

This year, advocating for urgent action, Manulife Cambodia and AIP Foundation join hands with the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) of Cambodia to work together in reducing road crashes and fatalities across the country.

The Road Safety Awareness Campaign will launch with the production and distribution 350 banners across the capital city and provinces. The banners will tackle seven major driving hazards, including drink driving, speeding, not wearing helmets, overtaking, and the importance of the give-way rule, controlling the animals or pets crossing to avoid them walking freely on the public roads, and respecting the traffic law of the country.

The objective of the banners is to alert road users of the imminent dangers on the road and to contribute to the improvement of the road safety situation in Cambodia.

The handover ceremony of the banners will be carried out just before the beginning of the Lunar New Year celebrations. To prevent road crashes and reduce the fatality during this time, the Cambodian Government works with NGOs and the Private Sector to raise awareness on the roads and hang the long banners on the main roads. Presiding over the event is H.E Min Meanvy, Secretary of State​ of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MoPWT) and Secretary-General of the NRSC. Over 50 participants will be in attendance.

“As many Cambodians travel to celebrate the lunar new year, this is precisely the right moment when we step in to remind people of the importance of road safety. And we delighted to collaborate with the AIP foundation on this campaign, as it aligns very well with the Manulife Impact Agenda to empower the health and well-being of our community,” shares Mrs. Nara Kann, Chief Client and Marketing Officer of Manulife Cambodia.

H.E Min Meanvy, Secretary of State of MoPWT and Secretary-General of the NRSC, shares, “today is a remarkable day as we gather together and handover road safety banners donated by our partner like Manulife Cambodia and AIP Foundation and distribute to the Provincial Road Safety Sub-Commission country-wide for their public dissemination ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations to reduce the number of preventable deaths on the roads across this Kingdom. I urge road users in Cambodia to take part in actions to prevent road crashes in the country, especially firmly respect the road traffic law including always wearing a helmet, give way rules, not drink and drive and not overtake dangerously.”