Vietnam is honoured to be the first representative of Asia to announce the country’s commitment to implementing the United Nations (UN)’s traffic accident reduction goal, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said at the launching ceremony of the #3500LIVES campaign in Hanoi on March 19.

At the launching ceremony of the #3500LIVES campaign

He said Vietnam has taken many measures to reduce 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 in the first two months of 2019, the numbers of traffic accidents, deaths and injuries decreased year-on-year by 532, 150 and 348 cases respectively.

The official said the Vietnamese Government is confident that with the joint effort of the international community and the governments of countries around the world as well as the support of global organisations 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 International Federation of Automobile (FIA), said Vietnam is the only country in Asia selected by the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety to host the commitment launching ceremony to implement the UN’s traffic accident reduction goals. He said the selection was made considering the Vietnamese government’s effective directions 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 certificate of the UN’s commitment to support Vietnam in implementing the UN traffic safety targets to Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The. 

The FIA President will be present in five countries selected as representatives of five continents to receive their commitment papers and report to the UN General Assembly at the third Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be held in Sweden in February 2020.

Launched in 2017 by the FIA, the #3500LIVES campaign aims to remind people that every day 3,500 people are killed on the roads, thus raising their awareness of following traffic safety rules.

In 2015, the UN set the goal of cutting the fatalities in road accidents by 50 percent in five years. -VNA