New York, USA – Vital Strategies today congratulated city leaders in Bandung, Indonesia for the launch of a new mass media campaign aimed at increasing awareness around helmet use, a critical road safety issue in a city dominated by motorcycles. In collaboration with Vital Strategies and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), the city’s campaign that was unveiled today – Click for Safety – will alert motorcyclists on how to properly “click” and fasten helmet buckles, thus educating residents on proper helmet use so they can keep their helmets buckled at all times.
Road crashes involving motorcycles are a significant cause of death and injury in Bandung, a city that experienced over 100 deaths and 800 injuries from road crashes in 2015 alone. More widespread and proper helmet use is a proven tool in combatting the epidemic, as wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of death by almost 40 percent and risk of serious injury by roughly 70 percent. A well-designed, well-executed media campaign can change risky behaviors of road users when effectively combined with effective legislation and enforcement.
“Road crashes kill and injure far too many people around the world, and unfortunately, residents in Bandung aren’t immune from this epidemic,” said José Luis Castro, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vital Strategies. “Nearly one-fourth of all world road crash deaths are motorcyclists, and much of the severe head trauma resulting from motorcycle crashes can be avoided with proper helmet use. That’s why we’re so proud of our partnership with the city of Bandung on this much-needed mass media campaign. Local leaders have coupled awareness with strong enforcement mechanisms to deter risky behavior, and we’re confident this will ultimately save lives and help make Bandung a safer city for all of its residents.”
Bandung will use social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, to promote a public service announcement and inform residents on why proper helmet use is so important to preventing serious injuries or fatalities resulting from road crashes. The Click for Safety campaign will run for six weeks and is part of a global, 10 city program spearheaded by BIGRS and coordinated by Vital Strategies to reduce road crashes in major cities around the world.
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Vital Strategies envisions a world where every person is protected by a strong public health system. Our team combines evidence-based strategies with innovation to help develop sound public health policies, manage programs efficiently, strengthen data systems, conduct research, and design strategic communication campaigns for policy and behavior change.
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For further information or to arrange an interview with a Vital Strategies public health and data expert, please contact Jon Steed, Vital Strategies, at +1.917.710.2846 or jsteed@vitalstrategies.org