'Drinking and driving should never be mixed' is message of safety campaign

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, the world's biggest brewer, has launched its latest program aimed at promoting polite and safe driving on China's roads, in an effort to cut the number of traffic deaths.

At the heart of the campaign is a promotional video starring sports stars Yao Ming and Liu Xiang in which they urge drivers to be more polite behind the wheel.

There are various scenes in which the stars offer behavioral advice in certain situations.

Michel Doukeris, AB InBev's president for Asia-Pacific region, said it is important for such a major company to promote wider safety skills on top of its overall message that driving and alcohol should never be mixed.

It already works closely with police departments, industry associations and educational institutes on a national anti-drink-drive campaign.

"We have been working on promoting responsible drinking in China for eight years, and have seen the incidents of drunk driving falling as a result."

"Now we are also becoming an important stakeholder in helping people improve their driving behavior," said Doukeris.

He said road accidents are often caused by people who have simply not been offered the best driving advice, such as on keeping to the speed limit, or not using a mobile phone while driving.

Road traffic accidents are the eighth leading cause of death worldwide and the biggest cause of death for people aged between 15 and 29, according to the UN World Health Organization, which estimates it will become the fifth cause of death by 2030 if nothing is done to improve driving safety.

AB InBev initiated the global "Together for Safer Roads" coalition four years ago, along with an impressive list of corporate partners including the insurance company American International Group Inc, telecom and communications firms AT&T Inc and Ericsson, energy company Chevron Corp, social media firm Facebook Inc, drinks giant PepsiCo Inc and supermarket chain Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

In China, AB InBev partners with the China Alcoholic Drinks Association's beer branch, Shanghai Traffic Engineering Institute, the Joint International Research Laboratory of Transportation Safety of Tongji University and Xinmin Evening News.

Doukeris said the ongoing AB InBev driving campaign will have a bigger impact in China if behavior is highlighted as a major cause of death. The company will also be emphasizing that mere traffic collisions are estimated to cost more than $500 billion globally per year.

Zhao Jian, a professor of urban planning at Beijing Jiaotong University, said the traffic networks of many of Chinese cities are larger than other major cities.

"Improving people's awareness of safer driving is a practical way of cutting unnecessary road accidents and keeping up with the process of healthy urbanization in China," said Zhao.

zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn