Asia Injury Prevention Foundation on Wednesday (October 6) is hosting a stakeholder meeting to provide the latest updates of AI&Me in Việt Nam, a programme which empowers young people to identify and report unsafe road conditions to the government for road modifications. — Photo courtesy of AIP Foundation

HCM CITY — Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation’s three-year AI&Me programme which applies AI, big data and digital technology to improve road safety has developed a ‘youth engagement app’ to offer young people an efficient way to identify and report high-risk road conditions.  

Through the app, government officials will receive data as actionable recommendations to make effective and evidence-based road safety interventions.

The AI&Me programme will be trialed in HCM City, Gia Lai Province, and Yên Bái Province with the possibility of scaling up to other regions and countries following successful initial trials.

Mirjam Sidik, AIP Foundation CEO, said: “The AI&Me program has the potential to inspire young people across the world to become road safety activists bridging the gap between big data science and public health.”

In recent years, big data technology has been utilised to transform road safety through predictive analysis by evaluating historical data to pinpoint high-risk areas. These maps enable authorities to take preventative measures before casualties happen.

The AI&Me program revolutionises road safety measures in Việt Nam, paving the way for emerging technologies to address public health issues.

The programme is supported by Fondation Botnar – a foundation which uses AI and digital technologies to improve the wellbeing of young people in urban environments –  the FIA Foundation, Anditi, and iRAP.

Saul Billingsley, executive director of the FIA Foundation, said: “Traffic injury remains the leading cause of injury and death for youth from the ages of 5 to 29. Giving young people the platform to share their experiences as road users, make demands for change, and have the confidence to know their demands will be both heard and acted upon are essential for meaningful engagement.”

Road crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years globally.

In Việt Nam, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated that more than 6,200 children and young people aged 5-29 were killed in road crashes in 2019.

This represents a public health crisis that disproportionately affects young people most. Road upgrades, speed management, as well as enforcement of behavioural risk factors are needed to effectively address this crisis. — VNS