Traffic skills education for students: The persistent journey of Hanoi Traffic Police

Traffic propaganda, if it is to be effective, must "touch" the "digital" life of students. That is the message given by Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Dao Viet Long - Deputy Head of the Hanoi Traffic Police Department at the Ministry of Public Security's scientific conference on the morning of October 30. According to Mr. Long, only when traffic safety education is digitized, spread through social networks and linked to daily practice, will students truly form a civilized and safe traffic culture.

On October 30th, at the People's Police Academy, the Theoretical Council of the Ministry of Public Security organized a scientific conference at the Council level with the theme: "The work of disseminating information and guiding safe road traffic participation skills for students in schools, contributing to improving the effectiveness of ensuring traffic order and safety in the new situation."

At the seminar, the presentation by Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Dao Viet Long – Deputy Head of the Hanoi Traffic Police Department – ​​attracted attention with its many specific, practical proposals, supported by outstanding results over the past years.

Major General, Dr. Chu Van Dung - Deputy Director of the Police Academy, chaired the workshop.

Traffic safety education starts in schools.

According to statistics from the Hanoi Traffic Police Department, in the first nine months of 2025 alone, traffic accidents involving students decreased sharply to 158 cases, a reduction of over 39% compared to the same period in 2024. This figure reflects not only the efforts to inspect and handle violations, but also the result of hundreds of awareness campaigns and skills training sessions for students across the city.

Hanoi is currently one of the leading localities in coordinating between the Police, the Department of Education, and the Youth Union to organize traffic law awareness programs. In the first nine months of 2025, the Hanoi Traffic Police Department coordinated 137 awareness sessions, attracting nearly 187,000 students from primary to high school.

The communication content is designed to be lively and age-appropriate: simulating traffic situations, interactive games, instructions on wearing helmets correctly, skills for handling situations when crossing the road, etc. Programs such as "Traffic Safety for Tomorrow's Smiles" or "I Love My Hometown Streets" have become annual activities that are enthusiastically supported by many schools and parents.

A distinctive feature of the Hanoi Traffic Police Department's work is its commitment to practical action in promoting awareness. Alongside educational activities in schools, local traffic police teams also conduct checks on students' blood alcohol levels and helmet use, inspect underage motorcyclists, address parents intentionally allowing their children to drive before they are old enough to take a driving test, and handle violations right in front of school gates.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Dao Viet Long, "directly checking and reminding students and parents right in the school area is both a deterrent and an educational measure." For example, in Hoan Kiem, Phan Dinh Phung, Hoang Mai districts, etc., traffic police, in coordination with schools, have issued citations to hundreds of parents for illegally stopping and parking while picking up their children. Information about these violations is then sent to the school principals and neighborhood committees for reminders. This flexible approach is considered a "practical lesson" that helps students develop proper traffic awareness from a young age.

Teaching traffic safety skills from the school age is a "shield" protecting students from the dangers of road accidents.

From traditional to digital

While previously, traffic safety awareness campaigns were primarily conducted through lectures, leaflets, and billboards, the Hanoi Traffic Police have now shifted significantly to the digital environment. The Hanoi Traffic Police Department's Facebook Fanpage regularly updates videos providing guidance on skills, real-life scenarios, traffic accident simulations, and online competitions on traffic culture. Many clips have garnered tens of thousands of views and shares – for example, the series of videos "One Second of Carelessness – A Thousand Pains" produced in collaboration with the Hanoi Security Newspaper, or the "Helmet Challenge – Complete Safety" which went viral on TikTok for school students.

This innovation helps to increase reach and engagement with young people through familiar, visual, and highly interactive language, instead of just passively listening and memorizing.

Based on practical experience, Lieutenant Colonel Dao Viet Long recommended that the Hanoi People's Committee direct the inter-agency collaboration between the Police, Education, and Youth Union to organize comprehensive propaganda programs, and at the same time: Develop a thematic propaganda plan for each school year, clearly defining objectives and criteria for evaluating effectiveness; Expand the application of social media and digital learning materials in traffic safety communication; Maintain regular reviews and summaries, draw lessons learned, and replicate effective models; Supplement resources, equipment, and modern means to serve the propaganda work of the traffic police force and schools.

According to the Ministry of Public Security's assessment, Hanoi is a shining example in the dissemination and education of traffic laws. The tripartite cooperation model: "Police - Schools - Social Organizations" has created a safe traffic education ecosystem, helping students not only "know the law" but also "live a culture of traffic safety".

As Lieutenant Colonel Dao Viet Long stated: "Educating students on safe traffic participation skills not only helps prevent accidents, but also shapes their character, discipline, and behavioral culture in modern society."

Experience shows that when awareness campaigns are implemented synchronously and with close coordination among various sectors, the results are clear and sustainable — in line with the spirit of the conference: "Building a generation of Hanoi students who are civilized, safe, and responsible when participating in traffic."

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/phap-luat/giao-duc-ky-nang-giao-thong-cho-hoc-sinh-hanh-trinh-ben-bi-cua-csgt-ha-noi-20251031101332093.htm