Addressing the event, the Committee’s Vice Chairman Nguyen Hoang Hiep said the campaign aims to raise the public awareness of traffic laws and ways to avoid accidents.

It aims to encourage road users to give way to pedestrians, and create transport infrastructure to ensure pedestrians’ safety, he added.

Road Safety Week was launched in all 63 provinces, with a range of activities including guiding people to cross the road properly.

According to WHO, as many as 9,000 deaths are recorded in Vietnam each year. On average 30 people die everyday in Vietnam .

Vietnam has recently been recognised for numerous drastic measures, such as completing its comprehensive legal framework and making it illegal to ride a motorbike without a helmet. These efforts to ensure traffic safety are encouraging, despite many existing challenges.

Also at the launch ceremony, representatives from the committee, WHO and other related agencies answered reporters’ queries on fining pedestrians who break the law, and infrastructure design for pedestrians.

Accordingly, during the week, activities will focus on freeing pavements for walkers, reminding pedestrians to keep to designated paths and fine people who violate the regulations.

Three percent of all road a ccidents in Vietnam involve pedestrians.

dtnews