The Automobile Association of Uganda (AAU) is leading a road safety campaign code branded,†Think before you Drive. “
The campaign focuses on simple life-saving messages is sponsored by the Federation Internationale demL’Aotomobile (FIA) and Bridgestone, costing about 80,000 Euros (shs170m)
The official messages of the campaign are,†think always, wear a seat belt, always adjust your head restraint, check your tyre condition and use a child seat whenever driving with children.â€
The campaign will also address other road safety risks like over speeding, vehicle roadworthiness and driving under the influence of alcohol.
The administrative officer AAU, Proscovia Nambuya alleged that advocating for defensive driving minimizes the risks of collision and greatly reduces wear and tear of the car. She pointed out that seat belts save lives ,most effective and least costly road safety measure for car occupants;†using a seat belt can improve your chance of surviving a potentially fatal crash by between 40 – 60%,â€she stresses.
Nambuya proceeded to point out that seatbelts are estimated to have saved over 300,000 lives and prevent more than 9 million injuries in highly motorized countries over the past 25 years. She emphases that during instances of a crash, the seat belt saves a person in the car fro hitting the wind screen steering wheel and dashboard.
In the road safety campaign, AAU and the traffic police are working harder to sensitize road users on ensuring all passengers are always belted up regardless of the length of the journey, said Richard Mugume, a traffic officer.
AAU has received 10,000 campaign leaflets to be distributed throughout the country free of charge as more will be published and distributed in same manner.
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