With the passenger helmet law enforcement scheduled for 1 January 2016, in which motorcyclists will be fined for their passengers who are not wearing helmets, journalists are gearing up to increase raising awareness and promoting helmet use. Media has the unique ability to communicate with the wider public to influence for good—it can play a vital role in cultivating a healthy road safety culture. AIP Foundation, with support from the FIA Foundation, organized a workshop to train journalists on how to best cover road safety topics and on fact-based, public-interest reporting.

The forum was attended by 40 journalists representing print, online, television, and radio media. At the workshop, journalists built upon their knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively cover road safety, specifically focusing on the upcoming enforcement of the new passenger helmet law, to better reach the greater community. Participants also drafted a year-long plan of topics and approaches to guide an active, informal network of journalists to promote universal helmet use through media.