NGO launches ‘Drive Safe Daddy’ campaign to curb drunk driving

Dashboards to have pictures of family, loved ones

New Delhi: A Delhi-based NGO has launched a unique campaign called 'Drive Safe Daddy' to check drunk driving, and to make motorists aware of the need to drive with care and caution, according to a statement issued on Sunday.

The campaign involves some students of the Delhi University.  They will be interacting with drivers at Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) CNG gas stations across the city.

"As the festive season and the Diwali fervour grips the city, roads in Delhi become more prone to accidents and tragedies as a result of drunk driving, which is at its peak during this time of the year," the statement said.

Prince Singhal, road safety expert and founder of the NGO called 'Community Against Drunken Driving', said the campaign has been launched to reach out to the common man and sensitise people to the need for driving safely. 

According to Singhal, every year the rate of fatal accidents spikes to about 22-25 per cent during Diwali, and the rising liquor sales and the incidence of drunk driving tragedies are enough to prove that fatalities are on a rise. 

"The idea behind this initiative is to engage with the drivers and sensitise them on the need and importance of road safety, especially during this festive season," he said.

The campaign, spread over a period of three months to cover both Diwali and New Year festivities, would cover over 12,000 drivers of private, public and commercial vehicles, the statement said.

The campaign would involve putting a photo-frame on the dashboard of the vehicle where a picture of the drivers' family or loved ones would be put in order to remind them of driving safely as their family is waiting back at home, it said.  

The NGO is also distributing stickers and road safety booklet titled "Drive Safe India" as part of the campaign. 

"Drunk driving has become a regular practice in Metros like Delhi, especially rising during festivals like Diwali with almost one in every five drivers driving drunk," it said.