“Discipline and Patience, key to ensure sanity on our roads”—Road Safety Campaigners

Accra, March 29, GNA – Pernod Ricard Ghana, a Spirit and Wine Company in collaboration with the Street Sense Organisation (SSO), a road safety campaigner have embarked on road safety awareness and sensitization programme to reduce road accidents, especially during the Easter festivities.

The sensitisation programme, dubbed, “Metwi a, Mentwa!” literally meaning “When I drive, I will not drink” will be held in 10 other lorry stations in the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Central regions.

The two-weeks campaign starts with the drivers of G.P.R.T.U Obra Spot Lorry Park, Circle, with distributions of stickers and talks on the need to be discipline and patience on the road.

Other lorry stations to be visited during the period include Neoplan Station, Accra-Tema station, Tudu, Ashiaman, Tema, Lapaz, Kasoa, Amasaman, and Nsawam.

Ms Eunice Osei-Tutu, the Sustainability and Responsibility Manager of Pernod Ricard, Ghana, said: “Generally, people know what is right and wrong, yet we just need to keep reminding them through sensitization and awareness programmes.

“In many cases, certain things people may be going through influence some of their choice, especially when it comes to drinking before driving. We hope that having reminded the drivers and putting the stickers on their vehicles, they would do their best to minimize the carnage on the road,” she added.

Ms Osei-Tutu said: “For Pernod Ricard, it is very important that their products are consume responsibly and for everybody driving, responsible consumption means no consumption at all.

“There are lots of misconceptions that when one drinks, it empowers them to drive better and we are going to continue to remind people that drinking our products before driving is no, no, no…,” she added.

She, therefore, wished the drivers and their family a happy Easter and reiterated the need for them to avoid alcohol when driving during and after the festivities.

Mr Gabriel Dake, Director of Operations, Monitoring and Evaluation, SSO said the main purpose of the programme was to ensure that there is sanity on the road, specifically to lessen road accidents during and after the festivities.

He said they still believed that during festive seasons having a recap with them and re-echoing the importance of cutting down on alcohol or abstaining from it when driving would also ensure that the menace on the road is well controlled.

“Basically, all these programmes are geared towards reduction of road accident and saving human lives, especially ensuring that the cost associated with that kind of damage are eliminated,” he added.

Mr Arhin Ebenezer, the Vice Chairman of G.P.R.T.U Obra Spot, commended Pernod Ricard, Ghana and Street Sense Organisation for the continuous efforts to remind them of their responsibilities to save lives.

He, therefore, pledged their willingness to continue to always adhere to the messages to eliminate the accident on the country’s roads.

Statistics showed that about 70 percent of road crash fatalities and injuries are in the economically productive age groups between 15 to 64 years

GNA