At the launching ceremony of the #3500LIVES campaign (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam is honoured tobe the first representative of Asia to announce the country’s commitment toimplementing the United Nations (UN)’s traffic accident reduction goal, DeputyPrime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said at the launching ceremony of the #3500LIVEScampaign in Hanoi on March 19.
He said Vietnam has taken many measures toreduce the number of traffic accidents, deaths and injuries. From 2012 to 2018,the country saw reductions across the three categories, he noted.
The Deputy PM cited statistics that showed inthe first two months of 2019, the numbers of traffic accidents, deaths andinjuries decreased year-on-year by 532, 150 and 348 cases respectively.
The official said the Vietnamese Government isconfident that with the joint effort of the international community and thegovernments of countries around the world as well as the support of globalorganisations and active participation of localities, departments and people,the traffic situation in Vietnam and the world will continue to be improved.
Jean Todt, President of the InternationalFederation of Automobile (FIA), said Vietnam is the only country in Asiaselected by the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety to host the commitmentlaunching ceremony to implement the UN’s traffic accident reduction goals. Hesaid the selection was made considering the Vietnamese government’s effectivedirections and initiatives to reduce traffic accidents over the past decade,especially the implementation of regulations to wear helmets while riding motorbikes.
At the ceremony, Jean Todt granted a certificateof the UN’s commitment to support Vietnam in implementing the UN traffic safetytargets to Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The.
The FIA President will be present in fivecountries selected as representatives of five continents to receive theircommitment papers and report to the UN General Assembly at the third GlobalMinisterial Conference on Road Safety to be held in Sweden in February 2020.
Launched in 2017 by the FIA, the #3500LIVEScampaign aims to remind people that every day 3,500 people are killed on theroads, thus raising their awareness of following traffic safety rules.
In 2015, the UN set the goal of cutting thefatalities in road accidents by 50 percent in five years. -VNA
VNA
