In demonstration of the continued advocacy of road safety in the country and to entrench sanity on Nigerian roads, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Guinness Nigeria Limited, yesterday commenced the “ember” month road safety awareness campaign.
The Guinness/FRSC press conference on “Responsible Drinking Activity” was held Wednesday at the Guinness Ogba office in Lagos, to further underscore their positive disposition to a multi-sectoral approach to road safety management in the country.
Speaking at the event, Corps Marshal, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, in his presentation titled “Responsible Drinking Activity,” said the joint press conference between the Federal Road Safety Corps and Guinness Nigeria Limited on “Responsible Drinking Activity,” was their sustained collaboration to promote safer road culture on Nigerian highways.
As a global brand and leading manufacturer of beverage, Oyeyemi said Guinness Nigeria Limited has remained committed in promoting responsive drinking among Nigerian road users through the ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ campaign and other numerous initiatives aimed at complementing the FRSC’s efforts towards safer motoring environment across the country.
According to Oyeyemi, the theme for this year’s ember season campaign is “Right to life on the Highways: Not Negotiable”, deliberately designed to underscore the need for us to embrace road safety as a serious business and for motorists not to compromise on their safety while plying the highways.
He noted that most people live with the misconception that the Ember months is a season of road traffic crashes, which can be attributed to the activities of witches and other forms of diabolic practices which results to road crashes between the months of September and December.
“Permit me to state that road traffic crashes do not have any linkage with any diabolic practice but can be traced to the attitude of drivers and other road users within the Ember season. Most people set targets for themselves and tend to be anxious towards the end of the year especially when their projections do not fall into place. This same scenario is responsible for reckless driving, disregard for traffic rules and regulations and other forms of road vices among drivers who in the process of having so much on their minds, lose their sense of judgment while plying the highways,” he said.
He further added “During the Ember Months period of 2016, a total of 31 traffic crashes involving 122 people which was primarily caused by driving under the influence of alcohol was recorded. There were 53 injuries and 5 people were killed.
“Drink driving is also a global concern as the United Nations’ Decade of Action on Road Safety aimed at reducing fatalities and injuries by 50% come 2020 is worrisome. With this worrisome trend, the bulk of the casualties are our youths who form the economic productive bracket of our great Nation.
“For this reason, it is not out of place to add that a drunk driver is more likely to drive dangerously or commit traffic violation, and these are a part of the offenses the operation cobra enforcement, which forms part of the Corps’ numerous initiatives towards improved road culture. So far, the operation has recorded a total of 2,800 offenders who contravened 3,415 offenses, with 1,306 referrals to government hospitals for emotional and psychological evaluation”, he added.
In his speech, Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria Limited, Mr. Peter Ndegwa said that their obligation is to promote safety on our roads by not encouraging drinking and driving.
Emphasising that Guinness is committed to creating awareness of responsible drinking. Ndegwa said “we are committed to achieving this through our customers, consumers and employers. Partnership is very important and that is why FRSC has come in. We have done it in the last 13 years”.
My message to the consumers and motorists is to know that driving and drinking do not mix. If going alone, go with taxi; if you can’t take taxi, stay at home and drink. I thank our patrons for partnering with us over the years and I believe it will continue to endure in the years to come.”
