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PATVORA AWARENESS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING (PAADD)
Welcome to PAADD's online resource centre. The primary purpose of this website is to create awareness on the real dangers of drunk driving and the potential consequences that are often fatal.
Despite all the publicity generated against drunk driving in the past few years by the Federal Road Safety Commission of Nigeria (FRSC), alcohol related traffic crashes continue to be a major cause of death.
Our goal is to advance effective solutions to the drunk driving problem because drinking increases risk of accidents and excessive alcohol consumption impairs judgement ; and drivers who have been drinking large amounts may take risks they would not otherwise take when sober.
This website is designed to assist individuals, organisations and others who are interested in reducing drunk drinking by providing information and encouraging debate on the wide range of public policy issues affected by drunk driving.
The intent of this website is NOT to promote prohibition because the majority of people who drink alcohol enjoy it without causing harm to themselves or others. Our aim is to reduce the misuse of alcohol by the minority through a strategy of working with other organisations locally, nationally and internationally .
In addition, please let us know if you have any suggestion or want to include information on your successful effort. We intend to share information and ideas on the best way to tackle the problem of drunk drinking.
If you want to know more about drunk driving, visit our PAADD resource centre or
you can view some of our press releases by clicking on PAADD news
We hope you will find the information useful.
Anyone who visits this site can inform others using the send to a friend link
PAADD services rely on public support. If you wish to contribute to our efforts then please send a mail to info@patvora.org or call Ken on 080 23232328 to discuss how you can get involved.
PATVORA
AWARENESS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING (PAADD) calls for the urgent establishment
of a NATIONAL COMMISSION AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING by the Government.
Key duties recommended: -
-Run
a high-profile, periodic alcohol awareness campaign
-Introduce
alcohol education for young people – including initiatives involving
-schools
and parents
-Provide
resources for counselling agencies
-Introduce
training for staff selling and serving alcohol
-Ban
the sale of alcohol in motor parks
-Finance
research on alcohol-related disorders
-Give
the Federal Road Safety Commission facilities for breath-testing and wider
testing powers
-Promote
designated driver scheme in major hotels
-Introduce buyers beware information on alcohol products and in places where
it is sold.
-Introduce compulsory levies on alcohol manufacturers for road safety
development.
PATVORA ACKNOWLEDGES DRINK DRIVING AS A MAJOR ISSUE OF CONCERN, CALLS FOR STRINGENT MEASURES. December 2004
The members of PATVORA Organisation have selected drunk driving as an issue of concern. In a combined meeting of Council members and volunteers of the PATVORA Organisation held in its Secretariat on the 11th December 2004, two issues were selected as major concerns for PATVORA’s focus in the year 2005.
The under funding of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Complacency of Alcohol manufacturers were nominated as two issues of concern. According to Mr. Yahaya Adejoh, a Council member, the matter of alcohol consumption by drivers in Nigeria is a major threat which has received little or no attention in the past ten years. He stressed that the threats posed by drunk drivers have reached an unprecedented level and Nigeria rather than witness a decrease in fatalities caused by drivers driving under the influence of alcohol like most countries involved in the fight against road safety crisis, is having a dramatic increase in road crashes. Mr. Adejoh stated that such avoidable road crashes should be blamed on poor enforcement, which he largely attributed to lack of testing facilities by the FRSC. He however attributed the FRSC’s inability to properly address this issue to inadequate resources and lack of support by organisations that ought to show support.
Mr. Adejoh in buttressing his points for nominating drunk driving as an issue of concern for the PATVORA Organisation, stated that drink driving has impeded the efforts of the agencies combating road safety crisis in Nigeria. He further claimed that the unchecked rise in road crashes associated with drunk drivers could have been reversed but for lack of sensitisation and gross complacency of alcohol manufacturers. He submitted scientific based evidence and acknowledged research findings to prove that consumption of alcohol by drivers is a major contributory factor to increase in road crashes in the developing world.
According to Mr. Adejoh those who indulge in drink driving are potential threats to innocent road users. As such, drivers driving under the influence of Alcohol should be treated as criminals because their actions are premeditated to cause harm to fellow road users. He however stated that this might be difficult to accomplish in the present circumstance where manufacturers of Alcohol products have not in anyway informed their consumers of the adverse consequences associated with the consumption of their products. He advocated that Buyers Beware information be placed on all such alcoholic products and places where these products are sold. Otherwise, the manufacturers of Alcohol products or those who sell such products should be held liable for the ill actions of their consumers or customers while driving.
Mr. Adejoh cited instances of countries that have experienced drastic reduction in road crashes due to zero tolerance of alcohol while driving. He mentioned that Austria and France are countries that have witnessed over 20% in road fatality reduction in the past five years due to their increased focus on anti drink driving. In conclusion, he stated that the PATVORA Organisation would do majority of road users in Nigeria the world of good by sponsoring a bill to the National Assembly compelling Alcohol manufacturers to act socially responsible either by providing counter measures to the negative effects of their products or getting directly involved in the financing of road safety activities. However, he stated that such contributions should not be regarded as charity but compulsory levies.
The Co-ordinator of the PATVORA Organisation, Mr. Ojugbana thanked Mr. Adejoh for his well researched presentation while promising that the PATVORA Organisation as a first step would dialogue with responsible alcohol manufacturers on cost effective strategies that maybe applied in addressing this threatening problem of epidemic proportions. At the meeting it was resolved that a sub committee be constituted to look into the possibility of drawing up a proposal to the Federal government for the establishment of a National Commission Against Drunk Driving.
In a recent a meeting of the Association of Pathologists of Nigeria (ASSOPON) held at MUSON Centre Lagos, July 2005. The association demonstrated their readiness to lead the fight against tobacco and alcohol in Nigeria. The Patvora Awareness Against Drunk Driving (PAADD) has reacted by issuing a Press release applauding the bold initiative of ASSOPON. The press release signed by Ms. Magdalene Dike, the Acting Head of PAADD, on behalf of its Members and volunteers expressed readiness to partner with any organisation that is genuinely set to address alcohol misuse in Nigeria. more....
President
Festus Mogae, Botswana
Alcohol
is a contributory factor, not only in the case of HIV but also to road
accidents. A lot of young people here own cars and they drive them fast and
they die like flies on the roads. Yes, that is associated with alcohol. We
are thinking about it, in fact we have a liquor law in draft to maybe reduce
the opening hours for liquor outlets and various other measures. In
Botswana, 30% of the orphans are orphaned because of
road accidents.
SOURCE:
BBC Talking- BBC News Online.
A great percentage of road accidents in Nigeria are due to impatience. Honestly, there is so much impatience among our drivers and they should avoid being drunk while driving.
Major Gen. H. Hananiya (Rtd), Corps Marshal & Chief Exe. Federal Road Safety Commission, a. Source: Abuja inquirer newspapers, 16th Aug. 2004
In a recent traffic offence survey it was found that there was an increase in the national rate of about 15.56% from 1.80% drivers found under the influence of alcohol to an average of 2.08% drivers under the influence during the previous year. In accordance with figures released by the Medical Research Council (MRC), 58% of all drivers and 61% of pedestrians killed in road crashes tested positive for alcohol. It is estimated that during 2004 1,932 fatal crashes happened as a direct result of drinking and driving, claiming the lives of 2,333 persons at a cost of R 1,62 billion. These figures, taking into consideration the high percentage of pedestrians jaywalking and drivers exceeding the speed limit, is indeed a matter of grave concern.
Alcohol plays a major role in many accidents, so it is important that they continue to invest in life saving programmes, as part of their investment in responsible alcohol consumption initiatives.
Excerpts from Keynote
Address of South Africa, Minister of Transport, Mr Jeff Radebe, MP. Easter
Campaign and Arrive Alive Patrol Car Launch, Thursday, 17 March 2005
Source
(www.arrivealive.co.za)
Stressing
the need for more public enlightenment for all road users, President
Obasanjo solicited the intervention of the British Department for
International Development, DFID, to assist in the introduction of
breathalysers on the roads on a pilot scheme basis to check drunk driving.
President Obasanjo calls for international assistance on drunk driving problem
Source: Thisday newspapers, 08.05.2005. Report by Josephine Lohor
Alcohol plays a major role in many accidents, so it is important that they continue to invest in life saving programmes, as part of their investment in responsible alcohol consumption initiatives.
Excerpts from Keynote Address of Minister of Transport, Mr Jeff Radebe, MP Easter Campaign and Arrive Alive Patrol Car Launch, Thursday, 17 March 2005
Source: www.arrivealive.co.za
Why road accidents happen - World Africa, Thursday, 5 April, 2001, 12:01 GMT 13:01 UK
A look through any of Africa's newspapers will reveal that they happen with depressing regularity. ….Many stories of terrifying journeys involve a driver that is either drunk or on drugs.
BBC News Online's Damian Zane
In Nigeria, you can drink and drive By Levi Obijiofor.. more
Some of the
causes of accidents in Africa are narrow roads, drunk driving, few traffic
lights, illiteracy and non-enforcement of traffic laws.
Francis Abagi, Nigeria
BBC News, Friday, 28 April, 2000, 08:43 GMT 09:43 UK
Talking Point: Debates: African
I don't want to overstate this point, but
alcohol most certainly plays a role in a lot of these accidents. If it's
Apatashi in Ghana or good ol' Castle in South Africa, alcohol consumption is
ubiquitous at the taxi rank.
N. Borges, USA
BBC News, Friday, 28 April, 2000, 08:43 GMT 09:43 UK
Talking Point: Debates: African
When other nations are saying no to alcohol and tobacco, we are boasting to be the largest brewer and distributor in West Africa. Tobacco and Alcohol are the major predisposing factors to several and severe cancer causes in Nigeria.
Unanimous remark of Nigerian Pathologists at the association's meeting to examine the recent advances in diagnosis and management of malignancies. July 2005 MUSON Centre Lagos.
Source: Newage newspapers. Reported by Abiose Adelaja, July 28, 2005
It is better not to make money at all than to make money that will kill people. We are doctors of doctors, scientist of scientists. Nigerian Breweries is spending money on things that will kill people. It is our responsibility to educate government and the public on health implications of this lifestyle on our people.
Prof. Onitiri, Chairman, 2nd plenary session of the 3-day event of Association of Pathologists of Nigeria (ASSOPON), July 2005 MUSON Centre Lagos
Source: Newage newspapers. Reported by Abiose Adelaja, July 28, 2005
In Nigeria, you can drink and drive
If you ask many people to list the main cause of road accidents in Nigeria, chances are that you will be inundated with angry remarks about the deplorable state of the nation's roads.
That is a good beginning but it fails to recognise one of the main causes of fatalities on Nigerian roads; the influence of alcohol on driving. You may have heard it many times:
drinking and driving don't mix. Not many people pay heed to this advice. For purposes of clarification, drinking, in this context, does not refer to non-alcoholic beverages. The phrase is probably not common in Nigeria because neither the Federal Government nor the comatose Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) understands what road policy to pursue to ensure that Nigerian Kamikaze drivers do not kill themselves and other innocent people on our highways.
When the FRSC
was set up some decades ago, everyone thought it would herald an end to the
carnage on Nigerian roads, particularly the frequent road fatalities that
occur during festive seasons. For a few years the FRSC lived up to its name.
Dangerous drivers were fined or arrested and prosecuted for infringing
traffic regulations. Like everything Nigerian, there were many areas where
the FRSC did not achieve success. For instance, it did not succeed in
deterring greedy luxury bus drivers from packing excess passengers (often
referred to as "attachments") in their vehicles. The FRSC did not succeed in
preventing unlicensed drivers from driving on Nigeria's roads. But the FRSC
failed woefully in one area. It did not attempt to stop Nigerian drivers
from driving under the influence of alcohol. Perhaps the FRSC did not have
the equipment and human resources to subject drivers to breathe testing on
the roads. Perhaps one of the reasons why we do not regard drink driving as
a serious cause of road accidents is that
we prefer to attribute road fatalities to superstitious and remote causes
such as presence of evil spirits and wicked enemies or the restless actions
of some angry forefathers.
In most developed countries, there are laws that stipulate what a
driver's blood alcohol level must be. Anyone who drives with a blood alcohol
reading way above the required limit automatically faces severe penalties
such as a stipulated period of ban from driving, loss of driver's licence
and or a heavy fine. Nigerian drivers, particularly male drivers, are
notorious for testing their masculinity on the basis of the litres of
alcohol they are able to consume at any point in time. In fact, some drivers
often offer the reverse logic that their visibility on the roads is enhanced
only when they have consumed a certain quantity of alcohol. Strange as this
argument may sound, it says a lot about the suicidal instincts of drivers on
Nigerian roads. It also says a lot about official nonchalance about the
impact of alcohol on deaths on Nigerian roads. Alcohol consumption,
particularly excess consumption, impedes visibility and reduces our
natural reaction time.
Many people may wonder why it is necessary to prevent adults from committing mass suicides on our roads. The answer basically is that governments have a moral duty to protect lives. Human lives too are precious and must be preserved. Second reason and perhaps more important is that governments must protect innocent road users against the reckless actions of some other drivers.
Drivers who
engage in alcohol abuse cause some of the most ghastly road accidents in
Nigeria. Sadly there is a certain feeling of official apathy about the
impact of alcohol consumption on driving-related deaths in the country. This
apathy extends to official attitude on statistics about road accidents in
Nigeria, particularly accidents resulting in fatalities. Official figures on
road fatalities are either non-existent or they might have been collected
haphazardly or through anecdotal evidence. However, evidence seems to
suggest that one in every five major commercial vehicle drivers like to keep
(as company) some bottles of beer beside their seats. Private drivers fare
no better. There are others who openly consume alcohol while driving. In
societies where laws are made and respected, this constitutes a serious
driving offence. Just as nothing is regulated in Nigeria, the sale of
alcohol is also a free business activity. Whereas
businesses that trade in alcohol are required to be licensed, there are many
roadside provision stores that sell alcohol and still operate without
licences. In Nigeria, children can drink as much as adults. There seems to
be no law aimed at preventing under-age drinking in Nigeria. Which is
perhaps why school children and other teenagers freely buy alcohol in
Nigeria without fear of arrest. The same lack of rules and regulations
applies to the marketing of pharmaceutical products.
If the government and transport authorities in Nigeria are serious about reducing the number of road fatalities, one way to tackle the problem would be to devise ways of shutting the taps of alcohol abuse. It will be a daunting task but first there must be laws to stipulate the minimum standards of behaviour expected from drivers. Such laws must also outline what drivers can and cannot do on our roads, including the required blood alcohol reading.
The Federal
Government should, as an urgent measure, equip the FRSC with the materials
and human resources to embark on regular and massive breath testing of
drivers on the roads. That is the most effective way of catching drivers who
drive under the influence of alcohol. The penalty for this offence should be
immediate suspension of a driver's licence. Of course the suspension of
licences would be a laughable penalty in a country where it is easy for
people to obtain driving licences without undergoing driving tests. This
loophole suggests further tightening of the licensing procedures.
Tightening the process of issuing driving licences is designed to ensure
that qualified and responsible people receive the licences. Under normal
circumstances, it shouldn't be simple or easy for anyone to obtain a
driver's licence without going through the approved testing procedures.
Unfortunately ours is a
system where ethnic affiliation, kinship relationships, old school ties and,
above all, money undermine laws made for the good of society. These are the
factors that will challenge the government and any new laws aimed at
reducing fatalities on our roads caused by alcohol abuse. It is these same
factors that make nonsense of public administration in other facets of
Nigerian society. How the government should tackle these social problems is
uncertain. But what is certain and indeed urgent is that the government
should act to reduce the carnage on Nigerian roads.
Source:
The Guardian newspapers. April 20, 2001. By Levi
Obijiofor
http://nigeriaworld.com/news/source/2001/apr/20/39.html
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World Medical Association Statement on Alcohol and Road Safety |
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Adopted by the 44th World Medical Assembly Marbella, Spain, September 1992 Death and injury from road crashes and motor vehicle collisions with pedestrians constitute a major public health problem. Because so many of those killed and maimed on the roads are young, the years of expected life lost as the result of motor vehicle crashes and collisions rival what occurs with the major modern epidemics of cardiovascular disease and cancer. In many countries, where the consumption of alcohol is accepted as part of everyday life, it has been shown that alcohol impaired drivers of motor vehicles are responsible for about half of all motors vehicle related deaths and serious injuries. From this it follows that measures ensuring that alcohol impaired persons never drive will result in a very significant improvement in road safety, and a marked reduction in those killed or maimed on the roads. Driving a vehicle involves accepting a degree of risk. Prudent drivers constantly monitor the risks they are meeting, and act to ensure that the level of risk never becomes subjectively unacceptable. Alcohol alters the driver's subjective estimate of risks, so that risk taking behaviour becomes more likely, at the same time as objectively measured driving skills are deteriorating due to sedation. This is what leads to alcohol related road crashes. The person who has been drinking and is making a decision to drive is faced with an analogous decision about risks. The risks to be considered include negotiating the roads safely. The subjective assessment of such risk is progressively distorted by the effects of alcohol. It is therefore necessary to ensure that drivers consider whether they will drive or not before sufficient alcohol has been consumed to materially affect such judgments. This implies that legal limits on blood alcohol concentration in drivers must be set low, at the level indeed where subjective assessment of risks remains realistic in virtually all people. Serious public health problems demand coordinated approaches. The detail of any successful approach must be based upon an analysis of the problem as it affects a particular country and culture. In most countries road crashes involving alcohol involve adolescents and young adults disproportionately and special efforts to reduce alcohol consumption by this group will be relevant. In many such examples the problems of alcohol on the road are mirrored by problems associated with alcohol in the workplace or in social or domestic environments.
Successful programmes will involve:
1.
Alcohol related road
traffic crashes constitute a major preventable public health problem.
Public health resources commensurate with its seriousness must be
directed to this problem.
2.
Detailed prevention
measures necessitate a good understanding of the age and social groups
involved and the social forces that prevail to create the problem in
these groups. Research that details these issues must be undertaken.
Where particular social groups are found to be involved, comprehensive
strategies must be undertaken to deal with their problem. This may
involve limiting the availability of alcohol to that group and ensuring
that those involved in the sale of alcoholic beverages share some
liability for the consequences of the sale. There must be education
aimed at attitudinal change, backed by sanctions if necessary, and
attention given to the elimination of alcohol from the workplace.
3.
An alcohol related road
crash must be seen as one of the inter-related alcohol problems that may
affect an individual, the others include work accidents, domestic
disharmony and violence, and personal alcoholic disease. The legal and
medical treatment of individuals must reflect this.
b.
Rehabilitation
programmes for such purposes should be publicly funded, in view of the
significant risk to the public wellbeing of unresolved alcohol
dependence.
4.
Education of the
population must ensure that the progressive effect of alcohol on both
driver skills and the assessment of risks is well understood. The
effects of alcohol abuse on health generally must not be forgotten, and
there should be a better appreciation by the public of the greater
likelihood of medical complications when a drunk person is injured. b. The specific message should be that driving should not be undertaken by one who has been drinking.
c.
The special problem of
adolescent and young adult drivers who drink must be addressed by
educational programmes on the effects of alcohol that extend through
school years and promote responsible attitudes to drinking and driving.
Other issues to do with alcohol should be simultaneously addressed.
5.
Doctors should
endorse the need for a low legally permissible blood alcohol
concentration in drivers, certainly not greater than 50mg/100ml of
blood, or comparable breath concentrations. ii. that there be random testing of drivers, either generally, or at those times when research has indicated that alcohol related crashes are particularly likely to occur. Source : Drive and Stay Alive website |