Actress Michelle Yeoh advocates for road safety in Vietnam
VOV.VN - Actress Michelle Yeoh, a renowned actress and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, arrived in Ho Chi Min City on April 8 to champion a campaign to make road safety a priority in Vietnam.
Yeoh says road safety is a cause that is very close to her heart and one of the great health and development challenges of our time. |
The Asian region, she says, is among those worst affected by dangerous roads, with 700,000 losing their lives in road-related fatalities every year. |
The world needs more governments in the region to make road safety a priority, and put in place effective legislation on key risk factors such as speeding, drink-driving, and seat-belt use. |
She is adamant in her belief that we all have a part to play in road safety. |
Whether a person is a member of government, a driver, a passenger or a pedestrian, we all must do what we can to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives on roads. |
She notes it takes only a very few short seconds for a tragic crash to occur, which is irrevocable. We all have a responsibility to behave safely and to think of those whom we share the road. |
As is the case for countries like Vietnam, motorcycle safety is a top concern. Too many people – including children – ride on the back of bikes with no helmets and no protection. |
Like anywhere in the world, Vietnamese need to improve road safety and tackle the basics: by improving infrastructure, vehicles, education, legislation and health care, she says. |