Protecting Children on the Road: Q&A with Partner Asia Injury Prevention Foundation on Policy Wins and What's Next

The Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIPF) is a nonprofit that works to reduce road crash deaths and injuries in low- and middle-income countries, with deep roots in Vietnam, where it has helped build grassroots and national road safety programs focused on child safety, helmets, school zones and evidence-based partnerships. The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) has worked alongside AIPF since 2021, providing technical support to advance road safety policies aimed at reducing deaths and injuries. 

Asim Khan, Associate Director at GHAI, recently spoke with Mr. Phong Le, Country Manager for AIPF who has supported national efforts to advance child and youth road safety and the new child restraint systems (CRS) law in Vietnam. Vietnam’s National Assembly recently strengthened the 2024 Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order by clarifying the implementation of its CRS provisions. Beginning this summer, the law will require the use of CRS in private vehicles, an important step toward effective enforcement.  

With decades of experience, Mr. Phong has helped shape evidence-based programs, from increasing helmet use to advancing CRS legislation. He shared insights with us on the CRS policy journey, the role of data in shifting public understanding and the priorities ahead to protect children in Vietnam.  

1. Asim Khan: The AIPF has worked in Vietnam for more than 25 years on child and youth road safety. What part of your mission and on-the-ground experience most shaped your decision to prioritize child protection in vehicles.

   Mr. Phong Le: Our mission is rooted in the fundamental belief that no child should lose their life while seeking an education or moving through their community. For over 25 years in Vietnam, we have witnessed a massive transformation in transport; as car ownership rises, the vulnerability of children inside these vehicles has become a critical focal point. Our experience with the Helmets for Kids program taught us that technical standards and robust legislation are the only sustainable ways to achieve population-level protection. We are now applying those lessons to CRS to ensure that as Vietnam's fleet changes, our safety standards keep pace. 

    

2. Asim Khan: What “gap” did you see before the CRS mandate was embedded in national law through the 2024 Law on Traffic Order and Safety? 

   Mr. Phong Le: Before the 2024 Law on Traffic Order and Safety, there was a significant legal and behavioral gap. While seatbelt regulation existed, they did not account for the specific physiological needs of children. There is a common public perception that it is safe for adults to hold children in their arms, or that older children can simply use adult seatbelts—which actually provide zero protection (and can even cause injury) during a crash. Furthermore, without a legal mandate, high-quality, standardized CRS were neither widely available nor prioritized by consumers. This gap was becoming increasingly dangerous given the rapidly increasing private cars in Vietnam. For example, Hanoi’s car ownership grew by over 113% between 2014 and 2018. Yet, according to a survey conducted by Hanoi University of Public Health, only 1.3% of private car owners in Vietnam currently own a CRS, with usage concentrated primarily in large cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

   

    

3. Asim Khan: In the lead-up to the CRS provisions being adopted in national law, what did you learn about parent/caregiver beliefs and behaviors (e.g., holding a child as “safe enough”)? How was the evidence utilized for policy development and changing the public’s awareness?

   Mr. Phong Le: We found a common "false sense of security" where parents believed holding a child was "safe enough." To counter this, we utilized a data-driven advocacy approach for: 

   - Demonstrating Risk: We shared global crash data and local observational studies with government agencies and media to prove that physical strength or holding a child cannot replace a restraint system during an impact. 

   - Reframing the Narrative: We shifted the conversation from viewing CRS as a "luxury" or "accessory" to a life-saving "medical necessity" for the road. By framing it as a non-negotiable part of responsible parenting, we began to change the public’s awareness and acceptance.  

    

4. Asim Khan: The AIPF has referenced multi-year implementation work leading up to the CRS mandate. Can you walk us through the specific contributions AIPF made for this success in Vietnam? 

   Mr. Phong Le: The AIPF acted as a bridge between technical expertise and legislative action: 

   - We worked alongside the former Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction), National Traffic Safety Committee, the Ministry of Health, People’s Representative Newspaper and international partners including Global Road Safety Partnership, WHO and Vital Strategies, to provide the technical justifications for the CRS mandate in the Law on Traffic Order and Safety. 

   - Through a working group on road safety, we contributed to the technical language of the 2024 provisions, ensuring they aligned with international best practices while remaining feasible for the Vietnamese context. 

    

5. Asim Khan: Looking ahead, what are the next priorities for protecting children and youth—especially around speed reduction? 

   Mr. Phong Le: As the CRS law will be effective from July 1, 2026, we will still focus on a public awareness campaign. In addition, our priorities will include: 

   1. Speed management: 

   - We will support speed limit regulation in urban areas following global best practices. 

   - For Safe School Zones, we are discussing a mandatory 30km/h speed limit in all school zones to reduce the severity of accidents. 

   2. Powered Two Wheeler (PTW) safety: 

   - Child Helmet Standards: Although the helmet wearing rate in Vietnam is high, recent surveys showed a large portion of helmets are substandard. In addition, there is no dedicated child helmet standards. We are therefore pushing for better enforcement of wearing standard helmets and developing child helmet standards. 

   - Advanced Safety Tech: We are also supporting the mandatory implementation of Motorcycle Anti-lock Braking Systems to prevent falls during emergency braking. 

   

    

6. Asim Khan: What are the biggest implementation facilitators and barriers you anticipate for speed and two-wheeler policies, and how will AIPF address these barriers? 

   Mr. Phong Le: One of the biggest challenges we are facing is that there is no specific speed limit around school zones regulated by law. We are now working with both government agencies and international development partners to support the adoption of specific speed limits following global best practices, specifically 30-40 km/h around school zones and 50km/h in urban areas. 

   For PTWs, the biggest challenge is to develop a child helmet standard. This is something new not only in Vietnam but worldwide. However, in 2025, the AIPF together with Dr. Terry Smith developed Global Child Helmet Standards. This is a very useful tool as a starting point.  

   To address these barriers, we will continue to employ an evidence-based approach, conducting rigorous research and using globally recognized tools such as the Star Rating for Schools to collect the local data necessary to prove that these policies save lives.