PHNOM PENH Province, Cambodia - June 19, 2013

70 moms of students at Sampov Meas Primary School in Phnom Penh gathered on May 25, 30, and June 19 for a forum hosted by AIP Foundation to address the important role of mothers in improving road safety, especially for children. Through Helmets for Families, Manulife Cambodia Plc. has donated helmets to both students and their mothers and has integrated moms into road safety education activities at Sampov Meas Primary School.

As the family’s main caregiver, moms are frequently responsible for their children’s transportation to school and elsewhere. Young children look up to and emulate the behavior of their parents, making safe road behavior among adults key in developing life-saving habits in children. And when a family member is injured or disabled in a road traffic crash, 88 percent of the burden of care rests with women, including moms, which results in wider gender gaps, higher drop-out rates, and poorer maternal health.

A responsible government official attended the forum and presented crash data. AIP Foundation informed the mothers about their uniquely important role in preventing road traffic injuries and deaths by protecting their children and themselves.