The happy smiles of scores of children wearing helmets lit up as award ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on June 29 as the Kids Love Helmets photography contest drew to a close.

The Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation, which organised the ceremony, gave away 30 million VND in prizes and free helmets for six of the 50 short-listed entries displayed at the Lan Anh Music Centre.

The three-month contest, which attracted more than 15,000 people nationwide, aimed to increase awareness of the need for children to wear helmets and to promote the practice in a country where motorbikes dominate road traffic.

The contest was held by the AIP Foundation in cooperation with National Traffic Safety Committee and the Vietnam Helmet Wearing Coalition.

Peter Lysholt Hansen, Danish ambassador in Vietnam and major campaign sponsor, said the contest will make people “familiar with the sight of children with helmets in ordinary situations”.

Nguyen Vinh Hien, the winner of the contest, said the most important aspect of the contest was that “the photographs show young people that wearing helmets can be very beautiful and fashionable, as well as simply a smart decision”.

Greig Craft, the chairman of AIP Foundation, said that the contest was one of activities to show parents the importance of children wearing helmets and to increase the rate of children wearing helmets throughout the country especially in urban areas.

Nguyen Trong Thai, deputy head secretariat of the National Traffic Safety, said, “Events like this help get out the message to adults that child helmet wearing leads to happy and healthy families”.

The award ceremony featured a concert by well-known artists including pop diva My Linh, goodwill ambassador for the campaign, Lam Truong, Ho Ngoc Ha, Hien Thuc, Quang Vinh, Cao Thai Son and Mat Ngoc band.-Enditem