School zone safety improved in Phuket thanks to the AIP Foundation and Thai Bridgestone Co., Ltd

AIP Foundation with support from Thai Bridgestone Co., Ltd., and in collaboration with local partners, handed over the school safety zone under the ‘The 1st Bridgestone Global Road Safety Project’ to Kathu Wittaya School in Phuket province. The school safety zone has been improved with the aim to reach the highest 5-star rating using the iRAP Star Ratings for Schools tool.

Kathu Wittaya School is now a 5-star school

The quality of school zone road safety modifications was assessed through the Star Ratings for Schools system – SR4S. This is an evidence-based tool for measuring, managing, and communicating the risks children are exposed to on a journey to school. The SR4S was awarded a prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in December 2018, recognizing the application’s huge potential to reduce risk and save the lives of pedestrians worldwide.

At the event, Mirjam Sidik, Chief Executive Officer at AIP Foundation shared, “The handover of the school safety zone at Kathu Wittaya School is a positive sign that all parties are working to bring us closer to our vision of a world where all neighborhood streets are livable, safe, and sustainable. The initial road assessment for this school zone found no school zone warning and no speed limit sign where 50 kph was deemed the maximum allowable.

To address these issues and prevent death and injuries of students, teachers, parents the neighbors, we have worked with local partners to improve traffic safety. This includes the installation of 30 kph speed limit signs, renewed lane markings, and a student drop-off zone for improved safety. These infrastructure modifications contribute to our work towards achieving the target of reducing at least 50% of road injuries and fatalities by 2030. It also means ensuring that all of them have safe and equal access to education and cultivating safety in the community by improving the road safety rating around this pilot school.”

Bridgestone’s Youth Champions for Road Safety

Since the previous year, Bridgestone has collaborated with 4 schools across the country to conduct the program, including Kathu Wittaya School in Phuket province. Altogether, 261 students and 40 teachers from these schools participated in, with 8 students from the 4 schools being selected as Bridgestone’s Youth Champions. These 8 Bridgestone’s Youth Champions attended road safety training in Bangkok, enabling them to cultivate leadership and road safety awareness among students.

Bridgestone for Road Safety

Road Safety campaigning is one of Bridgestone’s corporate social responsibility initiatives implemented globally. As a sustainable solutions company, Bridgestone contributes to making everyone’s journey safe and this starts with safety programs’ implementation at schools to promote road safety awareness and encourage safe behaviours among young generations.

Useful links: To view more photos from the event, please click here.