Camilla Mellander, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam, gives her opinion about traffic and traffic safety in Vietnam.
On April 24, the Swedish Embassy in Vietnam, along with a number of Swedish companies in Vietnam and the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation gave 500 free helmets to students at Cat Linh Primary School. The programme also attracted the participation of Vietnamese singer My Linh, Goodwill Ambassador for the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Sweden.
Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam, Camilla Mellander, (left) and Singer My Linh
During the event, Mellander took some time out to speak to DTiNews, giving her take on some of the surrounding road safety in this country.
Although it has been years since it was made mandatory to wear a helmet while on a motorbike, many still choose not to. This fact has not been lost on Mellander. “I have often seen children standing on motorbikes between their parents without a helmet. This really makes me feel anxious,” she said.
The choice not to wear a helmet or not to make children wear them may be especially dangerous in Vietnam. As the ambassador pointed out, she has too often seen drivers make sudden dangerous turns or take short cuts and witnessed a number traffic accidents in Hanoi.
She said that whenever her children go out, she tells them to wear helmets, even when riding bicycles.
The ambassador also shared some traffic safety experiences from her home country, one of the best in the world in terms of traffic Sweden has fewer than 300 traffic fatalities annually. Under the "Vision Zero" plan, the country aims to eliminate road fatalities and injuries altogether, she said.
Students in Cat Linh Primary School granted with helmets
According to the ambassador, Sweden pays attention to safety traffic education from an early age. The country also has strict quality standards helmets.
She suggested that Vietnamese authorities should call on people, including children, to wear safe helmets, not only when they are on motorbike but also on electric bikes. It is also very important to raise public awareness of traffic safety.
The ambassador also said that Vietnam and Sweden have worked together to hold conferences on traffic safety, at which Sweden shared its experiences in this area. She hopes that this will help Vietnam improve safety here.
