Safety Delivered, a program supported by The UPS Foundation, will work with young, inexperienced motorcycle drivers in target universities and communities to improve their unsafe and distracted driving behaviors while also working to increase child helmet use at primary schools. In Cambodia, 1,852 people died in road crashes in 2016, with young people aged 15 to 29 accounting for 45% of these fatalities.

The featured speakers at the workshop were Her Excellency Min Meanvy, Secretary General of the National Road Safety Committee; His Excellency Him Yan, Deputy General Commissioner of the Cambodian National Police; and Pagna Kim, Cambodia Country Director of AIP Foundation. Others in attendance included representatives from the media; relevant government agencies; members of the private sector; four partner universities in Phnom Penh; as well as student road safety ambassadors from program universities.

“According to the Annual Report on Road Crashes and Casualties from 2010 to 2016, more than half of road crash fatalities were young people aged between 15 to 29 years old because some of them were driving in distracted way. These are the causes of death, injuries, disabilities and lost private and public property that seriously affect family living conditions and society. This is a public health problem that needs prevention and treatment by educating youths to pay more attention while they are driving,” said Her Excellency Min Meanvy, Secretary General of the National Road Safety Committee.

“General Commissariat of National Police is pleased to support this program that focuses on saving youths’ and children’s lives,” His Excellency Him Yan, Deputy General Commissioner of the Cambodian National Police said. “We are ready to advise and support the implementation of the program that enhancing widely and regularly law enforcement.”

At the event, AIP Foundation signed implementation agreements with representatives from the four program universities, including Royal University of Phnom Penh, Asia Europe University, Phnom Penh International University, and Pannasastra University. The workshop was also an opportunity for Safety Delivered to discuss its implementation plan with the gathered stakeholders in an effort to receive feedback and recommendations.

"We are proud to have worked with AIP Foundation since 2011 on school-based and advocacy-focused road safety initiatives throughout Southeast Asia,” said Eduardo Martinez, President, The UPS Foundation and UPS Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. “Safety Delivered is a crucial new program that applies an evidence-based approach to promote behavior changes among at-risk populations.”

Safety Delivered activities will consist of three components, including a university-based campaign, a public awareness campaign, and helmet distribution and education at primary schools. More than 120 student advocates from four program universities have been selected to participate in a youth leadership-training program, which will equip them with the knowledge and skills to promote road safety awareness among their peers, community members, and primary schools. In addition, a public awareness campaign will target young, inexperienced motorcycle drivers through television commercials, online platforms, social media, and public events.

 “Getting young people engaged is critical to making the roads safe for everyone,” said Pagna Kim, Cambodia Country Director of AIP Foundation. “We are targeting university students in order to empower them to become road safety advocates among their peers and within their local communities.”