Drink Driving
In the first year of the Pledge The Brewers of Europe finalised its drink driving toolkit which laid out the background to drink driving and the elements to consider when developing drink drive campaigns. On the basis of existing good practices, the toolkit also described the different options for action, emphasising in particular the importance of working with the right partners to help maximise the outcomes of initiatives to reduce drink driving and thereby help to cut the numbers of road accidents, injuries and fatalities provoked by drink driving.
Notable over the course of the implementation of the Beer Pledge has been the increase in the number of campaigns integrating non-alcoholic beer, promoted as a positive alternative for drivers who wish to drink beer but not alcohol. Such campaigns also offer up clear examples of where harm reduction and commercial success coincide, with the brewing sector also further investing and innovating in the non-alcoholic side of the beer market to offer products appreciated by consumers. Most of these campaigns also have third party endorsement and support, including from governments.
Interview of Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director, ESTC, European Transport Safety Council during the event celebrating 10 years of the European Beer Pledge.
As announced in the first year report, The Brewers of Europe also agreed a partnership with the premier EUwide NGO on road safety, the European Transport Safety Council, a member of the EU Alcohol and Health Forum alongside The Brewers of Europe. Launched in the European Parliament in September 2013 with an event looking at workplace initiatives to address drink driving, the SMART project has continued with national events in Rome, Madrid, London, Prague and Warsaw. The national events gather experts both locally and from across the EU to raise awareness on effective measures to curb drink driving and have included support and representation from governments, NGOs and road safety campaigners, together with the brewing sector.
Additionally three case studies have been put together by ETSC looking at drink drive laws in Scotland, the use of alco-locks in public transport in Denmark and the introduction of alco-gates at ports in Sweden. Finally, bi-annual drink drive monitor newsletters are distributed amongst key stakeholders in Brussels to raise awareness on the latest developments around drink driving policies and campaigns, whilst an alcolock barometer is used to track take up of the measure through trials, voluntary measures or as a legal tool. The SMART program, whose first three years will culminate with an event in Brussels in October addressed by the EU’s Transport Commissioner, is the only joint commitment by an EU-wide NGO and an EU-wide industry association in the EU Alcohol and Health Forum.
Below are further examples of other activities conducted by companies and associations to address drink driving across the EU