Pernod Ricard, the French drinks group which is the third largest wine and spirits producer in the world, is to join forces with France's road safety agency, DSCR, to help promote its anti drink driving campaign.
The Pernod Ricard Holding in Paris, as well as its French subsidiaries Ricard and Pernod, will join the DSCR in promoting its 'designated driver' campaign. France's road safety minister, Isabelle Massin, along with Patrick Ricard, president of the Holding, Alain Chamla, president of Ricard, and Pierre Coppere, president of Pernod, have all put their signatures to a document agreeing to do their utmost to help cut the number of drink-related accidents in France.
In practical terms, this means that at any promotional events featuring Pernod Ricard brands - such as those which the company frequently carries out in bars or nightclubs across France - the company has agreed to display the DSCR's designated driver posters and other road safety literature, as well as provide free breathalysers for consumers to assess whether they are legally able to drive.
The 'designated driver' in any group of consumers will also be offered free soft drinks all night.
At promotions in student bars and clubs, the company will also offer a range of other solutions to reduce the number of people driving home over the limit. These include car sharing schemes, accompanying drinkers back to their homes at the end of the night, or inviting companies such as Voiture & C° and Entreprise et Prevention, which specialise in ferrying partygoers back and forth.
"An understanding of the risk associated with the consumption of our products is part of our responsibility as a company and falls within the framework of our continued efforts to promote responsible drinking throughout the world. I am convinced that these further efforts by our companies to promote drink-free driving will contribute to a lasting change in attitudes, especially among young adults," commented Patrick Ricard.
He explained that both Ricard and Pernod would also be introducing schemes within their own organisations designed to educate their own employees about road safety, in particular the 1,000 or so sales people who regularly drive the roads of France selling the group's products.
"Co-operation with professionals throughout the alcoholic drinks sector is vital for the success of our road safety campaigns and in particular our efforts to promote the designated driver system to young adults. I am delighted with this collaboration with Pernod Ricard, which will significantly boost our efforts," commented Isabelle Massin.
While Pernod Ricard's efforts are clearly to be praised, it is likely to take a lot more than free drinks and the odd warning poster to change attitudes in a country where drink driving has almost reached endemic proportions.
But targeting the younger drinkers in particular is the right way to go about changing attitudes in the long term - and that is the best way to reduce the number of accidents. Sadly, however, we are likely to see many more accidents before the message finally gets through.