You drink, you drive, you lose!
On Monday 1st June, 89.7 Bay in partnership with Drink Aware Malta, Transport Malta and The Times of Malta announced the launch of the #dontrisk campaign. The purpose behind this initiative is to create awareness about the dangers involved in driving under the influence, as well as to encourage safer behaviour, in the hope of reducing the number of people being killed and injured on Malta’s roads every year. The issue has always been one of concern but with drink driving accounting for 13% of all road fatalities in 2012, it is clear that there is a lot more to be done.
This campaign has the support and backing of Agenzija Sedqa, the national agency dedicated to promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation to persons with alcohol problems. The #Dontrisk campaign aims to assist Sedqa in their exceptional work by offering a different perspective. Unlike other campaigns, #dontrisk aims to bring a positive message: that it’s okay to remain sober if you’re the designated driver and you can still enjoy your night out; that it makes sense to get a lift or take a cab home so that a fun night out doesn’t turn into tragedy.
Eden Leisure Group PR& Marketing Director, Kate de Cesare stated that “the drink driving situation here in Malta is alarming, especially with the younger generations. With the direct contact and influence that 89.7 Bay has with young adults, the Eden Leisure Group feels that it is our obligation to help educate people about the dangers of driving under the influence. Our #dontrisk campaign is there to drum in the fact that there is no excuse for drink-driving and that when drinking, one must do so responsibly and not risk theirs or other people’s lives.’
As part of this campaign, an informational website has been set up: www.dontrisk.com.mt, which includes information about the laws surrounding such matters, legal alcohol limits, as well as how alcohol affects driving. More importantly, the website gives advice on how to stay safe on the road, along with alcohol free alternatives.
Sponsors of the #Dontrisk Campaign include the Malta Tourism Authority, InterContinental Malta, Eden Leisure Group, Cisk, Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Directorate, the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity, Water Services Corporation, ARMS Limited, Gasan Mamo Insurance, Bacardi and the Parliamentary Secretariat for Competitiveness and Economic Growth.
Visit www.dontrisk.com.mt for more!