15-year campaign builds a safer, more responsible traffic culture across Hanoi

THE HANOI TIMES — For 15 years, the annual communication program “For the Capital's Traffic Safety” has stayed committed to its core mission of promoting compliance with traffic laws and laying the foundation for a safe and civilized traffic culture within the community.

With the ongoing theme “Safe journeys, shaping the future”, this year’s program has focused on encouraging voluntary compliance with traffic laws and gradually building a civilized and safe traffic culture.

These efforts help curb traffic accidents and ease congestion across the capital, according to Nguyen Thanh Loi, Associate Professor and Doctor, Editor-in-Chief of Kinh te & Do thi (Economic & Urban) Newspaper and Head of the Organizing Committee.

Delivering his remarks at the program’s closing ceremony today (December 16), Loi said 2025 presents many new challenges in ensuring traffic order and safety in Hanoi.

“The rapid growth of vehicles and high population density make the task of building a sustainable traffic culture urgent and long-term,” he said, adding that the 2025 program recorded many positive highlights and created strong community impact in that context.

The online multiple-choice contest expanded beyond junior and senior high schools to include university students and other groups. The contest attracted 125,320 participants, a sharp increase from 110,000 in 2024.

The writing contest received more than 6,700 entries, nearly five times higher than nearly 1,500 entries recorded in 2024.

According to Loi, Many submissions showed careful preparation, directly reflected shortcomings in traffic safety at specific localities and proposed practical solutions.

“The growth in both quantity and depth of submissions signals a positive shift in public awareness,” he said. “When people move beyond symbolic participation and start thinking seriously and proposing solutions, traffic safety becomes a shared concern of society.”

Alongside the contests, the program expanded its communication activities across multiple platforms, from print and online media to social networks, helping traffic safety messages reach young audiences more effectively.

Two seminars took place in late October and November to discuss students’ responsibility and safety around school gates. They were livestreamed to all 126 wards and communes in Hanoi, enabling experts, managers, police officers, educators and parents to join and earn millions of online interactions.

Luong Thi Van, Vice Principal of Van Diem Secondary School in Phu Xuyen Commune, said the contest offers schools a valuable platform to share experiences and initiatives.

Typical models such as “safe school gates” and “junior traffic ambassadors” and the integration of traffic safety into lessons have shaped awareness among students from an early age, she said.

According to Dr. Vu Hong Truong, a traffic expert and former General Director of Hanoi Metro, focusing communication on students is a well-judged approach.

“Every positive action in young people’s traffic behavior can spread and help form a more civilized and safer traffic community,” he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tai Nghia, Deputy Head of the Communication and Traffic Accident Investigation Division under the Hanoi Traffic Police Department, said the contest and direct outreach activities offer students realistic perspectives on traffic participation.

The contest equips students with traffic safety knowledge, situation-handling skills and civilized behavior on the road, Nghia said.

He added that the program have reached families and the wider community, raising compliance with traffic laws and helping reduce accidents and congestion in Hanoi.

According to Loi, the “For Hanoi Traffic Safety” program is more than a communication activity. It represents a cultural mission.

“It is a persistent journey to build a generation of responsible citizens who respect the law and value their own lives and those of others, helping make Hanoi more civilized and safer,” he said.

Outstanding contestants honored

At the closing ceremony, the organizers honored outstanding performers in the writing and online quiz contests on traffic safety awareness.

In the writing category, Bui Dinh Khanh won the special prize, while Pham Thanh Loan received the first prize.

Le Thi Hong Thuong and Du Ha My shared the second prize. Nguyen Thi Thuy, Nguyen Thanh Huyen, Tran Thi Thu Phuong, Kieu Thi Thanh Loan and Dinh Thi Thuong shared the third prize.

In the online quiz category, Nguyen Dinh Huong from Tan Dan High School won the first prize.

The second prizes went to Hoang Gia Nguyen from Tan Dan High School, Duong Minh Hieu from Dong Quan High School and Le Anh Thu from Newton Grammar School.

The third prizes went to Lam Binh An, Nguyen Thu Trang and Hoang Minh Son from Tan Dan High School and Duong Nhat Anh from Newton Grammar School.

Bui Dinh Khanh, special-prize winner in the writing category, is now a second-year student at the Academy of Finance.

He said his studies in Hanoi helped him quickly recognize urban challenges, from air pollution to prolonged congestion.

After learning about the contest, Khanh wanted to contribute a young person’s perspective to city authorities.

He submitted four entries that proposed applying smart traffic models used successfully in cities such as Singapore and Seoul.

Khanh said that beyond infrastructure and technology, road user awareness plays the decisive role, especially compliance with traffic lights, which he views as a clear sign of a civilized traffic culture.

Du Ha My, also a student from the Academy of Finance and second-prize winner in the writing category, said her entry grows out of her daily commute.

“Hanoi traffic stays crowded even outside peak hours and public transport still lacks convenience. Risks increase when road users lack awareness,” she said.

The youngster highlighted widespread red-light running at intersections, a behavior that seems minor but carries serious accident risks. In her entry, My compared traffic lights to a “silent guide” that reminds people when to stop.

She said obeying signals shows respect for life and contributes to a more civilized urban lifestyle.

Nguyen Dinh Huong, a student at Tan Dan High School in Chuyen My Commune and first-place winner of the online quiz, said this marks his second year joining the contest.

Huong said the best thing about the communication program is the knowledge gained and the sense of responsibility developed.

He said that he wants to share that awareness with his family and others to promote safer and more civilized travel habits.

After closing the 2025 program, the organizers launched the “For the Capital's Traffic Safety” communication campaign for 2026.

The program is jointly organized across the city by Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper, the Hanoi Traffic Safety Committee, the Hanoi Department of Construction, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, the Hanoi Department of Public Security and related agencies.

“We commit to continued innovation so the 2026 program achieves greater success and helps Hanoi become a model for traffic culture, alongside modern development,” Editor-in-Chief Loi of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper affirmed.