The 2018 edition of the Don’t Drink and Drive campaign aimed at creating safety awareness on Nigerian roads in order to minimise the dangers of drink-driving has commenced.
The initiative is organised by Nigerian Breweries Plc with support from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Last Tuesday, the 2018 Don’t Drink and Drive campaign, the 11th in the series, was formally flagged off at press conference held at Nigerian Breweries, Iganmu, Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr Jordi Borrut Bel, said the Don’t Drink and Drive campaign is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative designed to improve safety on Nigerian roads by discouraging the habit of drink driving especially among commercial drivers, motorcycle riders and private car owners.
He said the campaign involves enlightenment rallies for drivers in various cities, deployment of print and electronic media messages, fliers, free medical checks such as blood pressure and eye tests for drivers during the rallies.
Mr Borrut Bel explained that since the start of the initiative, the company has held enlightenment rallies in motor parks and other locations in 42 cities and towns across the country. “In the process, we have directly engaged over 20,000 drivers, other road users and a higher number of people through media messages,” he stated.
He added that there will be mega rallies this year in Eket, Akwa Ibom state, Ojota in Lagos and Minna in Niger state.
According to him, some behavioural changes have been recorded among drivers from evaluations conducted by research experts.
In his remark, Corps Marshall and Chief Executive of FRSC, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, commended Nigerian Breweries for the laudable campaign which he said is worth emulating by other organisations. He said the campaign’s impact on road users, especially commercial drivers, has been high, since the Corps signed a memorandum of understanding with the leading brewing company.
He affirmed that in order to promote responsible drinking, the FRSC has acquired digital alcoylser to test the level of alcohol in drivers.
“If the alcoholic content exceeds 0.05mm in a driver, then it is considered abnormal and not good for driving,” Mr Oyeyemi said.
The mega rallies for this year’s edition has been expanded to include the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Tanker Drivers, Luxury Bus Drivers, Keke and Okada Riders, Non-Governmental Organisations and members of the National Youth Service Corps, among others.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Adedapo Adesanya 
Modupe Gbadeyanka