Vietnam - December 15, 2017

To mark the historic occasion of the 10 year anniversary of Vietnam’s 2007 introduction of a universal helmet law, AIP Foundation and FIA Foundation jointly published HEAD FIRST: A case study on Vietnam’s motorcycle helmet campaign. The report details the decade-long campaign to secure the legislations, and the decade-long implementation effort since.

“Vietnam provides an important case study in government determination, sustained over the long term, to tackle motorcycle deaths and injuries,” said Saul Billingsley, Executive Director of the FIA Foundation. “This report shows how to assemble the essential ingredients for success: a clear objective allied to a plan of action, supported by multi-sectoral cooperation; international donor and expert support; active engagement of civil society; mobilisation of communities; and – above all – political courage and commitment.”

The study revealed that an estimated 500,000 head injuries and 15,000 fatalities have been averted due to increased helmet use over the last 10 years. The study also assessed data from Viet Duc hospital in Hanoi and Hai Duong hospital in northern Vietnam. It found that patient cases with severe brain damage reduced from almost 21% in 2007 to 13.6% in 2016.

This case study will be essential reading for any country or campaigner seeking lasting road safety change.