Crucial new measures to boost the safety of children in vehicles have been passed by Viet Nam's National Assembly, following extensive technical support from WHO and partners.
The changes to Viet Nam's Law of Roads and Law of Road Traffic Order and Safety that were passed in June 2024 require children travelling in vehicles to be secured in a safe child restraint system (also known as child car seat) if they are under the age of 10 years or below 135 cm in height. Children under the age of 10 years must also sit in a back seat in vehicles, as the rear seats are the safest place to be in a crash.
Globally and in Viet Nam, road traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5 to 29 years. Child safety restraints can reduce deaths in crashes by up to 71% among newborns and young infants. In a crash, the risk of injury is reduced by 26% for children in rear seats even if they are not in a restraint.
"With a rapid rise in motor vehicles on Viet Nam's roads it has become increasingly urgent to protect the safety and lives of children while they are travelling in cars. With these decisions, the Government and National Assembly have shown that mobility must not, and need not, come at a cost to young lives. These law changes are a vote for children's safety, and will help realise the promise of safe mobility – especially for young people – in Viet Nam," said Dr Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Viet Nam.
WHO has supported the development of the road safety laws for several years, working with Viet Nam's Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Health, and National Assembly committees to provide policy advice and recommendations based on evidence and best practice.
The decisions of the National Assembly to adopt these revisions to road safety laws are in line with the Government's National Strategy on Road Traffic Order and Safety for 2021–2030, which aims to reduce road deaths and injuries by 5-10% annually. They will also contribute to the targets of the United Nations' Global Plan for the Decade of Action on Road Safety for 2021–2030, which aims to prevent at least 50% of global road deaths and injuries by 2030.
Crucial support for the changes also came from partners the AIP Foundation, the Centre for Health Consultation and Community Development, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and the Hanoi University of Public Health, and with generous funding from the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety.
WHO will support the development of guidelines to implement and enforce the new laws when they come into force on 1 January 2026.
