BETWEEN ALCOHOL-INDUCED DRIVING AND ROAD SAFETY

AS United Nations' (UN) resolution designates 2011-2020 the "Decade of Action for Road Safety," alcohol industry urges more partnership to stop drunk driving.

On March 2, 2010, the UN General Assembly adopted a new resolution on road safety. The resolution calls for 2011-2020 to be designated the "Decade of Action for Road Safety." Its goal: To halt or reverse the increasing trend in road traffic deaths and injuries around the world.

At the International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP), we urge stakeholders worldwide to take the momentum a step further with decisive partnership and action. Whilst other international crises and public health problems (from AIDS to natural disasters) have rallied governments, foundations, academics and the private sector to work together to save lives and secure the substantial funding required, can the same be said about road safety?

The answer is a timid yes-but much more needs to be done. The way to live up to the ambitions of the "Decade of Action for Road Safety" will be to achieve real transformational partnerships between governments, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and civil society, the private sector and the media.

Those of us involved in alcohol policy discussions, as well as the alcohol producers engaged in efforts to stop drunk driving, are all too familiar with the associated statistics: more than one million fatalities every year, 50 million people injured, and economic costs around the globe averaging between two and three percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per country. The toll has long been too steep, despite efforts such as the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) launched by the World Bank and the Red Cross more than a decade ago. That is why ICAP's sponsor companies in the alcohol industry are speaking out to encourage more robust partnerships between governments, international organizations, local communities and the private sector.

The collective focus of these partnerships ought to be wholesale societal shifts in communities' and societies' views on-and tolerance for-drunk driving.

With increasing numbers of vehicles on the roads and heightened concern for harmful use of alcohol generally, what needs to be done to separate drinking from driving, so that the risks of harm are lowered both for drinkers and their potential victims? It will take more than general awareness to make the dramatic difference required-investment in legal and institutional capacity, training, equipment and commitments to strengthen partnership are indispensable. The alcohol beverage industry outlines more specifics in a recent book, "Working Together to Reduce Harmful Drinking," where it advocates partnerships that embrace new mindsets, overcome polarization, and deliver mutually beneficial impact and relationships.

Since its inception in 1999 as an experiment in public-private sector collaboration in the field of road safety, the GRSP has contributed to the reduction of road traffic casualties by leveraging new resources, additional partners, and best practices. For a Decade of Action to be successful in turning the tide of road fatalities and injuries, however, far greater resources will be required.

In addition, countermeasures-such as establishing BAC limits, random and law-abiding breath testing, campaigning, and education-are examples of the efforts which, if implemented consistently and persistently, can produce positive changes in drinking patterns and societies' views on alcohol-impaired driving. The responsibility for education and information about the risks of drunk driving does not exclusively lie with government; the beverage alcohol industry can and will continue to support and complement government efforts.

As stated by the World Health Organization (WHO), "Road safety is a shared responsibility." We take this to heart. More than ever, we need true partnerships in action-not in name only-and broader, deeper engagement by the international community, including governments and industry.

It is time to drive home the message that it is irresponsible and unacceptable to drink and drive.

* Brett Bivans is Vice President of The International Center for Alcohol Policies (www.icap.org), which is a founding member of the Global Road Safety Partnership in 1999. Brett was the first manager of the GRSP and is actively engaged in supporting road safety and prevention of drunk driving in low- and middle-income countries.
By Brett Bivans