In coordination with relevant authorities, schools are combining traffic-safety education with hands-on guidance as part of a campaign to teach students safe motorcycle riding skills, helping prevent traffic violations and accidents among school-age youth.

At Thanh Nưa Secondary School in Thanh Nưa commune, the school worked with the Traffic Police Division of the provincial Police, the Thanh Nưa commune Police and Head Nam Á to organize a session under the “Traffic safety for tomorrow’s smiles” program. Students were introduced to basic traffic regulations, shown how to wear helmets correctly and taught to identify behaviors that could put them at risk.

Hoàng Thị Kim Dung, the school’s Youth Union and extracurricular activities coordinator, said the school works with the police and Head Nam Á to provide students with essential knowledge for participating in traffic, while raising their awareness and sense of responsibility to comply with the law.

The sessions have given students practical knowledge to help protect themselves on the road. Lò Thu Phương, a ninth-grader in class 9E1 at Thanh Nưa Secondary School, said: “I was shown how to wear a helmet properly and learned about behaviors that are prohibited when using the road. It helped me better understand the importance of following traffic laws.”

During the sessions, authorities provided detailed information on the local traffic safety situation and answered students’ questions directly. Through two-way interaction, instructors focused on issues particularly relevant to students, including age requirements for operating different types of vehicles, standards for helmets, speed limits, the prohibition of riding in parallel lines or making unsafe overtaking maneuvers, and the absolute prohibition on operating vehicles after consuming alcohol or beer.

A notable feature of the sessions was that students were able to watch traffic police officers demonstrate safe riding techniques firsthand. Combining classroom instruction with practical demonstrations made it easier for students to absorb the information, recognize potential hazards and understand how to respond to common situations on the road.

Vũ Hoàng Vũ, a ninth-grader in class 9A3 at Điện Biên Phủ Secondary School in Điện Biên Phủ ward, said: “After the sessions, I have a clearer understanding of how important it is to follow traffic laws. When I am on the road, I will wear a helmet properly, stay in the correct lane and always pay close attention to my surroundings.”

Alongside the police, partner organizations are helping provide students with opportunities for hands-on experience. Đào Anh Tú, an employee at Head Nam Á, said the company works with traffic police every year to organize safe-riding programs and brings training equipment to schools so students can practice and improve their vehicle-handling skills.

According to the plan of the Điện Biên provincial People’s Committee, the campaign to train students in safe motorcycle riding skills entered its third phase on September 6 and will run through December 31, 2026, across the province. A key feature of the campaign is its tailored approach: training is designed to suit the characteristics of different groups rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model. Traffic police coordinate with commune-level police, local authorities, schools and mass organizations to arrange appropriate venues and practice areas and ensure safe operating conditions.

Youth and students aged 16 to under 18 have been identified as a key target group. Providing this age group with safe-riding skills at an early stage helps them gain better control of their vehicles, recognize accident risks and develop a stronger sense of social responsibility when participating in traffic.

For schools in mountainous areas, traffic-safety training is particularly important in protecting students on steep and winding roads. The knowledge students gain at school can also be taken back to their communities, helping spread a culture of safe road use among ethnic minority communities.

Hoàng Xuân Bình, Principal of Quài Tở Secondary and High School, said: “The school considers traffic-safety education an ongoing responsibility that should be integrated into educational activities and students’ daily routines. In addition to awareness-raising sessions, we continue to remind students to comply with traffic regulations and work with the police and parents to supervise and educate them.”

Experience from schools shows that combining legal education with practical guidance gives students a more direct and accessible way to learn about traffic safety. However, the effectiveness of these activities should not be measured by the number of students attending or what they remember after a session, but by whether they apply what they have learned in their everyday behavior.

For the campaign to deliver lasting results, close coordination among schools, families and law-enforcement authorities will be crucial. Continuing inspections and reminders alongside properly designed practical training will help students understand dangerous limits, voluntarily comply with traffic laws and take proactive steps to protect themselves and others. In turn, this will help build a strong culture of road safety, starting at school and extending into every home.