Bandar Seri Begawan - More than 40 organisations comprising banks, insurance companies, car retailers, small businesses and government departments have enrolled in the Brunei Tell-a-Friend Road Safety Campaign and are rolling out the message to Brunei's motoring population.

Materials for other organisations to run their own version of the Tell-A-Friend campaign have been developed following a recent meeting with representatives from the government and the private sector, Brunei Shell Petroleum (BR) said in a statement.

Brunei Tell-a-Friend partner organisations are expected to meet again in four months to monitor and review the overall efforts at implementing the campaign, the statement said.

The recent "focal point" meeting was held to discuss challenges and strategies in rolling out the community campaign. The meeting included group syndicate exercises and a video presentation featuring the Brunei Tell-A-Friend road safety campaign, launched nationwide this year by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam during his visit to the BSP head office in conjunction with the company's 80th anniversary.

Over 40 government departments and private organisations attended the meeting, including Belait Assistant District Officer Hj Abdul Hamid Dato Paduka Hj Abdullah, Royal Brunei Police Force Deputy Director of Traffic Control and Investigation Superintendent Hj Mohd Hadini Osman and Land Transport Deputy Director and Secretary for National Road Safety Council Awang Bakar Hj Ibrahim.

The central focus of the campaign is on people taking personal responsibility to comply with and sharing with family and friends key road safety messages, such as obeying speed limits, not using mobile phones while driving, wearing safety belts, using helmets while biking, using pedestrian crossings.

BSP has been working on improving road safety with the Brunei government and the Royal Brunei Police Force for the past three years, through TV and newspaper awareness campaigns, interactive community events and enforcement activities related to road traffic.

In addition, BSP has worked with more than 200 schools across Brunei to make road safety part of the educational extra-curricular activities.

Tell-A-Friend was initiated and piloted in BSP, covering over 3,500 staff and 8,000 contractors, and the results of to date have been remarkable, the statement said, adding that seat belt compliance by BSP staff and contractors has increased from 40 per cent in 2005 to almost 100 per cent in 2009.

BSP Managing Director Dr Grahaeme Henderson said, "We are asking people to do more than comply with the rules," he said. "We also want them to tell their Family and friends to do the same. Someone knows the person who isn't wearing a seat belt, the person speeding, or the person using a phone when driving.

"Working together, we are really making a major difference to driving habits nationally," he said. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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