15th European Night without Accidents
1970 friendly breathalyzer tests – more than 600 volunteers - 40 cities - 2,500 drivers
For one more year, despite the difficult conditions of the pandemic, the Road Safety Institute (R.S.I.) "Panos Mylonas", successfully organized the 15th European Night without Accidents, on October 16, 2021. More than 600 volunteers helped to smoothly complete the action, in 40 cities of Greece, for "a world without accidents".
The participation of both members, executives and volunteers of R.S.I. but also of the citizens, who wanted to take part in the action, was satisfactory and enthusiastic, observing all the sanitary measures against the pandemic.
Considering that 1 in 4 deaths from road accidents is due to driving after drinking alcohol, the central focus of the action was that "alcohol and driving do not go together". The volunteers urged the groups to nominate the person who will not consume alcohol in order to be the "driver of the company". The driver was wearing an ID bracelet and at the end of the night, he did a friendly breathalyzer confirming his commitment. Each driver who did not consume alcohol, received a reward as a gift, after he kept his promise.
The goal of R.S.I. "Panos Mylonas" was to strengthen the effort of information and education for the protection of all road users, as there is a worrying increase in traffic accident rates after the Lock down.
Here below, you can find the results of those who agreed to take the friendly breathalyzer test:
o Six out of ten drivers in Greece consider that the "company driver" can consume alcohol and drive as long as it is below the limit
o 88% of drivers were LOW below the limit, 53% did NOT consume any alcohol at all while 12% were ABOVE the limit with an average age of 32.5 years
o The cities with the best percentages were Lamia, Arta and Corfu while the cities with the most worrying percentages were Trikala and Chalandri
o 50% of drivers had planned in advance to become the driver of the group
o 87% think they had as much or more fun as their friends
o 68% would become the driver of the group again
Flax emphasizes the importance of educating citizens regarding the proper observance of the Highway Code and supports R.S.I. "Panos Mylonas" and the organization of the European Night without Accidents, donating products which were given to the drivers of the group as a reward for not consuming alcohol.
Tips for safe driving every day, not just for winter & holidays
- Always wear a seat belt or helmet.
- Keep long distances from the vehicles in front. The higher the speed, the greater the safety distance.
- Do not consume alcohol if there is a prospect of driving. If you drink, call a taxi to get back home.
- Do not talk on the cell phone. If it is urgent to answer the call, we stop on the right lane with an alarm.
- Respect traffic lights, motorcyclists & pedestrian crossings.
- Bad weather conditions are usually combined with low visibility conditions, so the use of windshield wipers and lights is required.
- In low traction conditions drive with increased caution. Our movements on all controls are very smooth and steady, in no case abrupt or aggressive.
And do not forget!
- Remain calm and cool every time we move on the road.
- Park only in the predetermined places and in no case on the sidewalk, on a pedestrian crossing or on a ramp for the disabled.
For more info:
Website: https://www.ioas.gr/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ioas_rsi/