Drivers urged to avoid drink-driving

The acting Corporate Relations Director at Guinness Ghana Breweries Plc (GGBPlc), Ms Aseye Nutsukpui, has said that recent events on the country’s roads have highlighted the need for greater collaboration among stakeholders to tackle road accidents.

She was speaking at an event in Accra last Thursday to draw the curtain on the 6th edition of a ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ campaign dubbed Twa Kwano Mmom.

The campaign is organised under the guidance of the GGBPlc, the Multimedia Group and partners to promote road safety in Ghana with the admonition to drivers to drive safely and observe road traffic regulations at all times.

Alcohol misuse

Ms Nutsukpui said findings from the 6th edition of the campaign showed a reduction in the number of cases of drivers driving under the influence of alcohol, adding that out of a total of 33,683 commercial and non-commercial drivers tested across five regions, 180 drivers were found to have been above the permitted alcohol limit.

“At Guinness Ghana, we are committed to playing our part and over the years, we have partnered stakeholders to tackle misuse of alcohol, especially among commercial drivers, because at the core of our Alcohol in Society (AIS) agenda is the commitment to reduce incidences of injuries and deaths resulting from drink-driving.

“Compared to the year before, where we recorded 202 drivers who were over the allowable limit, we see a drop in the number of cases of drivers driving under the influence of alcohol.

With the needed education and enforcement, I believe stakeholders can contribute to the global goal of halving injuries and deaths resulting from drink-driving” she said.

Support

The Assistant Planning Officer at the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Mr Victor Bilson, lauded the campaign which is targeted at ensuring that drivers did not drink while working.

“The NRSC is grateful for the support from Guinness Ghana towards road safety and calls on all and sundry to help in the efforts to make our roads safe and free from avoidable accidents, he said.”

Superintendent Dr Samuel Sasu-Mensah of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service said 94 per cent of road accidents and crashes were caused through human error.

“During festive periods such as Easter and Christmas, road accidents and crashes become widespread, as such the MTTD engages the public in awareness, sensitisation and enforcement measures, especially in various trouble and black spots across the country, in order that incidences of road traffic deaths and injuries would be curbed,” he said.

Background

Twa Kwano Mmom is a behavioural change campaign that Guinness Ghana has undertaken over the last six years.

The campaign also receives support from the NRSC, Police MTTD and Street Sense Organisation, an NGO, and the Multimedia Group.

Guinness Ghana signed a memorandum of understanding with the Multimedia Group last year to increase awareness on road safety among the public and the dangers of drink-driving and other factors that contribute to road accidents in Ghana.