National and local governments in Vietnam have been awarded two prestigious international road safety awards - the Vision Zero for Youth Award 2022 and the Prince Michael International Road Traffic Safety Award 2020 - for work in Pleiku City at a special award ceremony in Hanoi, supported by the FIA Foundation.

National and local governments were commended for the implementation of the Slow Zones, Safe Zones policy and its resulting impact conducted in partnership with the AIP Foundation, supported by Fondation Botnar, under the Botnar Child Road Safety Challenge, the Global Road Safety Partnership, iRAP, the FIA and the FIA Foundation.

The Slow Zones, Safe Zones programme began with two pilot schools and expanded throughout Pleiku City to all 31 primary schools, of which 23 ultimately achieved a 5-star from iRAP’s Star Rating for Schools tool. Through partnerships at the local, provincial, and national levels, the programme's reach is now extending to the entire country and forms a model that can be replicated both in national and global contexts. Key elements include using evidence-based systems for data collection—such as the iRAP Star Rating for Schools app—developing local capacity in applying these technologies, forming partnerships across the public and private sector, launching awareness campaigns designed to mobilize the public, and demonstrating the proven value of investing in road safety to governments. The Slow Zones, Safe Zones program's holistic approach benefits the youngest people across Vietnam to keep them safe when travelling to access education and build their future.

Led by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, with support from the FIA Foundation, the International Vision Zero for Youth Leadership Award recognizes noteworthy road safety practices that can inspire other cities to take bold steps to reach zero traffic deaths among children and youth in their communities. The ceremony for the Prince Michael International Road Traffic Safety Award 2020 was delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and is belatedly presented in recognition of the work of the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).

Saul Billingsley, Executive Director of the FIA Foundation said: “These prestigious awards recognise the commitment to road safety of the Vietnamese government at national, regional and city levels. The Slow Zones, Safe Zones interventions in Pleiku clearly demonstrate that low traffic speeds, combined with safe infrastructure design, are the best way to protect children on their vital school journey. We hope that children across Vietnam will benefit as this evidence is translated into national action.”

“We are honored to recognize Pleiku City and Gia Lai Province, with support from Pleiku City People’s Committee and Gia Lai Provincial People’s Committee, for their commitment to prioritizing, advancing and promoting road safety and mobility for children and youth,” said Nancy Pullen-Seufert, Director, National Center for Safe Routes to School, UNC Highway Safety Research Center. “By recognizing the outstanding achievements of this city and province, we hope to inspire other places to take bold steps to reach zero traffic deaths among children and youth in their communities too.”

“It is a great honor that Pleiku City, Gia Lai Province, and Vietnam, are recognized internationally for the efforts we are making to protect our children. Vietnam takes to heart ensuring a bright future for our youth with our National Road Safety Strategy, following the goals of the 2021-2030 Decade of Action for Road Safety,” said Do Viet Hung, Chairman of Pleiku People’s Committee. “Thanks to the Slow Zones, Safe Zones program, we have proven that Pleiku City can be a model city for safe school zones in our country, as well as a replicable model not only nationwide, but also in South-East Asia.”

Mirjam Sidik, AIP Foundation CEO, added, "AIP Foundation is proud that Slow Zones, Safe Zones has been recognized with two awards. Youth is at the heart of our work towards vision zero for global road safety and equal access to mobility. We need to safeguard and empower our next generation to create a future that serves everyone equally."

The program aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals target 3.6 calls to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes, as well as with the Global Plan of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. Similarly, Vietnam’s current National Road Safety Strategy supports meeting the goals of the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, ensuring maximum traffic safety for school zones across the country.

Read the Case Study here: “Prioritizing safe school zones to safeguard every child’s journey to school.”