West Indies and Royal Challengers Bangalore cricketer Chris Gayle has always been a part of the action on and off the field. When he is not playing cricket, he has been seen supporting various causes and trying to influence youngsters to make a change in society. This time around, Gayle was seen lending his support to the USL - Diageo’s Road to Safety initiative, encouraging fans to celebrate responsibly this festive season.
Launched in 2014, USL-Diageo’s signature intervention, ‘Road to Safety’ endeavours to bring a collective consciousness around responsible drinking and road safety through various touch-points of television, radio and social media, encouraging citizens, especially the Indian youth to ‘Never Drink and Drive.’
Gayle exclusively spoke to Sportskeeda and gave us an insight into why he chose to sign the petition.
“You know, a lot of accidents have happened due to drinking and driving all over the world, so this is a great initiative by USL. The reason I chose to sign this petition is because, as sportsmen, people listen to us and they look up to us, so to get the message across to the people of the country, I am supporting this campaign,” said Gayle
The message the USL campaign is trying to send out this year is simple but strong. In an event which was held in Mumbai, Gayle, along with the many fans present, pledged to “Never Drink and Drive” and always have a “Designated Driver” whenever they go out.
“Honestly, it’s great to be associated with this initiative. It's a very simple message and we need to get the word across to people of the country, especially the youngsters that there should be a ‘designated driver’ whenever they go out to party and drink,” emphasised Gayle.
Lakhs of people die every year due to driving under the influence of alcohol. Gayle, who has been a role model for millions of people around the world for many years, hopes that this initiative will go a long way in reducing the number of accidents caused due to this negligence.
“Yes, the initiative can go a long way in reducing the number of accidents. There are a lot of which happen, so it's important to spread the message and It's important to educate people about the campaign. In fact, it's important to persuade the younger generation as early as possible so that they don’t make such mistakes later on in life,” said Gayle.
The main message which the USL initiative sent out to the people was not to stop partying and going out, but in fact, to be careful and always have a designated driver, or take a cab for that matter.
“Yes, we are not telling you to stop partying or drinking, but we’re telling you to be more responsible and have designated driver. There should be one person in the group who doesn’t drink, or if there isn’t you should always call a cab,” exclaimed Gayle.
Till date, the ‘Road to Safety’ programme has covered 22 states and 53 cities in India and trained over 4000 police officials on traffic regulations, enforcement of drunken driving offences; types and correct usage of breath alcohol analysers. As responsible citizens, we should heed these initiatives and pledge to make this country a safer place to live in.
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