Launching the 9th program 'Guide to Safe and Environmentally Friendly Driving'

After more than eight years of implementation, Ford's Safe and Environmentally Friendly Driving Program has provided free training to more than 10,000 drivers in 14 provinces and cities across the country. The program is strategically coordinated with partners such as the National Traffic Safety Committee and the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation.

Scene of the launching event of the 9th program 'Guide to safe and environmentally friendly driving'

In 2016, the Program plans to expand training content related to driving skills on highways, or participating in traffic on mixed roads or in foggy weather conditions... Instructors at driving training centers will continue to be a priority of the program. In addition, Ford also focuses on bringing free training courses to taxi, passenger car and truck drivers through the Transport Associations and Traffic Safety Offices of provinces and cities. It is expected that 1,500 drivers will receive free training, bringing the total number of beneficiaries from the program to 11,500 by the end of 2016.

Ford Vietnam and the National Traffic Safety Committee signed a cooperation plan to teach safe driving skills to students for the 2016-2020 period.

At the press conference to launch the program, the National Traffic Safety Committee and Ford Vietnam signed a Plan to coordinate the teaching of safe driving skills to students for the period 2016 - 2020, witnessed by representatives of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Transport and relevant member agencies of the National Traffic Safety Committee. According to this Plan, Ford Vietnam will support funding to organize safe driving training sessions for students at 5 major universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2016. Training content includes an overview of traffic safety and safe traffic skills along with activities to call on young people to raise awareness and traffic culture. The program also focuses on warning young students about the risks of distraction and the harmful effects of using phones and using alcohol while driving. The network of universities participating in the program will be expanded in the following years.

The reason Ford expands and rejuvenates the free training target is because according to statistics from the World Health Organization, every year globally, more than 1.25 million people die from traffic accidents, and 90% of the victims are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. Traffic accidents are also the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-29, leaving serious consequences for the community and society. It is estimated that developing countries lose more than 3% of their GDP annually due to traffic accidents.

Dr. Khuat Viet Hung, Vice ChairmanNational Traffic Safety Committeeshare at the program

Mr. Khuat Viet Hung, Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said: “We welcome the efforts of businesses, including Ford Vietnam, as a socially responsible act that has contributed to the work of promoting traffic safety over the years. The National Traffic Safety Committee believes that with awareness, vision, and efforts to improve the traffic situation within the framework of the Global Resolutions, we will achieve the goal of reducing the number of traffic accident victims by 50% by 2020 compared to the present.”

Mr. Pham Van Dung - General Director of Ford Vietnam spoke at the ceremony

Mr. Pham Van Dung - General Director of Ford Vietnam said at the ceremony: “In addition to providing Vietnamese customers with safe and quality products, Ford always devotes resources to improving safe driving skills and traffic awareness of Vietnamese people. We always believe that there is no more effective and sustainable way to reduce traffic accidents than educating, training and raising awareness for drivers. Ford is opening a new mission besides its core business - to contribute to making life better by changing the way the world moves. Hopefully this program will help make Vietnam's roads healthier and safer.”

On this occasion, Ford Foundation continues to support the National Traffic Safety Committee's "Kind Arms to Share the Pain of Traffic Accidents" Program - an amount of 220,000,000 VND to join hands to ease the pain and stabilize the lives of traffic accident victims and their families.

Ford Vietnam and the National Traffic Safety Committee signed a cooperation plan to teach safe driving skills to students for the 2016-2020 period.

The Thanh