Training workshops were also held for more than 100 parents to promote helmet use. Helmets for Familiesis focused on engaging parents - especially mothers - as role models in child helmet use.  

The event was attended by senior representatives from the General Secretariat of National Road Safety Committee, Deputy Governor of Preah Sihanouk Province, road safety stakeholders, development partners, private sector partners, parents, students, staff and administration team of Hun Sen Krong Primary School, members of the press, Management team and staff of Manulife Cambodia, and AIP Foundation staff.

Even though 75% of road fatalities in Cambodia during 2017 were motorcyclists, at the time of crash, only 27% of adult motorcyclists and 8% of child passengers were wearing a helmet. These injuries and deaths are easily preventable through use of  helmets.  

Appropriate helmet use reduces risk of head injury by 69% and risk of fatality by 42%. Helmets for Families tackles the problem by working with parents – who are the decision makers and role models in children’s lives. Parents are the primary decision makers in purchasing helmets for their children 85% of the time and remind children 78% of the time to wear helmets when riding motorcycles.

"There is a positive correlation between parents’ knowledge of proper helmet use and children’s knowledge of proper helmet use,” said H.E Min Meanvy, Secretary of State, Ministry of Public Works and Transport and Secretary General of the National Road Safety Committee. “The government fully supports any efforts to promote road safety awareness, particularly helmet use among students in order to reduce and prevent road crash deaths and injuries.” 

H.E Cheav Vichheak, Deputy Governor of Preah Sihanouk Province "Our province has a growing number of road users and subsequent road crashes. Many of these victims are children. We have committed to reduce the number road crashes by supporting collaborations by the NGO and private sector, which focus on addressing the problem of child road safety at its core." 

Mr. Robert Elliott, CEO and General Manager of Manulife Cambodia said, “We are committed to working with AIP Foundation and the Cambodian government to provide a better future for families within the communities that we serve. Since 2012, Helmets for Families has delivered road safety education and skills to more than 4,000 students and almost 8,000 parents. Through this education, we have enabled thousands of families to make safer choices and build safer communities.” 

“Hun Sen Krong Primary School was selected because of its location in a high-risk and traffic dense area in a province where 90% of children travel as motorcycle passengers and bicycle riders,” said Mr. Pagna Kim, Cambodia Country Director of AIP Foundation. “In the past school years, one student died and at least seven students and teachers were involved in road crashes. Helmets for Families will provide quality helmets and road safety training for those in the community that are most vulnerable.”  

Helmets for Families will operate in Preah Sihanouk Province through 2018 and 2019 academic year. Road deaths have increased by 10% in in the province since 2017, making it the eleventh highest province for road crashes. AIP Foundation’s goal is to continue increase awareness about the importance of helmet use for all in Preah Sihanouk Province.

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About Manulife Cambodia

Manulife Cambodia started its operations on June 28, 2012. It is the latest market entry in Asia by Manulife, one of the world’s leading life insurance companies. As the first wholly foreign-owned life insurance company in the kingdom, Manulife Cambodia is committed to providing its customers with much needed financial protection through its products and services. This year, Manulife Cambodia won three international awards from Asia Pacific Customer Service Consortium (APCSC) - Customer Engagement Programme of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership of the Year, and Best Corporate Brand of the Year. 

About Manulife 

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance, as well as wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2017, we had about 35,000 employees, 73,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving more than 26 million customers. As of June 30, 2018, we had over $1.1 trillion (US$849 billion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $27.6 billion in payments to our customers. Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 100 years. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong. 

About AIP Foundation

AIP Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing road injuries and fatalities in low- and middle-income countries. For more than 18 years, AIP Foundation has been delivering effective road safety programs in locations across Asia and Africa. To find out more, visit www.aip-foundation.org or connect with us on Twitter @AIPFoundation.

•  For media contact:Manulife (Cambodia) PLC
• Mr. Saoyuthnea Dara
  Senior Communications Manager
• (+855) 11 759 964
• Saoyuthnea_Dara@manulife.com
  
  
•  AIP Foundation
• Rhea Goveas, Communications Coordinator, AIP Foundation
• 18bis/19 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Tel: (+84-28) 6299-1409 Ext. 128
• Email: rhea.goveas@aipf-vietnam.org