Red Stripe and NRSC ink partnership to advance road safety

RED Stripe and the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) have formalised a partnership to strengthen road safety efforts across Jamaica, in support of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. The organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Tuesday at Red Stripe’s Spanish Town Road offices, establishing a framework for continued collaboration on road safety initiatives aimed at encouraging responsible decision-making and safer communities. Nearly 1.2 million people lose their lives in road crashes globally each year, while between 20 and 50 million suffer serious, often life-changing injuries.

The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety calls for a holistic approach that prioritises safety across all aspects of road system design, planning and management, with a goal of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030. In Jamaica, the partnership brings together Red Stripe’s Drink & Live Responsibly platform and the NRSC’s national road safety mandate to promote responsible choices around alcohol consumption, transportation and social occasions. Speaking at the signing ceremony, NRSC Executive Director Paula Fletcher underscored the importance of partnerships in tackling Jamaica’s road safety challenges.

“Road safety cannot be addressed by one organisation or sector alone. We need partnerships that take the message into the spaces where people live, work and socialise, and that encourage individuals to think about how their choices affect themselves and others. “Behaviour change takes consistent engagement, and partnerships with the private sector can help us reach people in meaningful and practical ways,” said Fletcher.

Red Stripe Managing Director Holly Bostock said the partnership builds on the company’s long-standing commitment to promoting responsibility. “Living responsibly has always been a core value at Red Stripe, and we wanted to take that commitment further by putting greater focus on the choices that can protect people and communities. Guh Easy gives us a platform to do that, and our partnership with the NRSC allows us to take a firm stand on road safety and encourage practical action,” said Bostock.

The first initiative under the partnership is Guh Easy Heroes, a public recognition programme that will celebrate Jamaicans who demonstrate responsibility and make positive contribution…