Sir Viv bats for road safety

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Opponents (especially bowlers) cringed when Sir Vivian Richards walked to the crease during the Antiguan's heyday as a batsman. His glory days as a cricketer have long passed, but the former West Indies captain hopes to have a sobering impact on the Caribbean through his role as pitchman for Johnnie Walker.

Richards, 59, is the whiskey company's 'Be A Giant: Don't Drink and Drive' spokesperson in the Caribbean. The campaign got into full gear in Kingston last week with Richards launching a Facebook page (facebook.com/johnniewalkerjamaica) and meeting with sports minister Olivia Grange.

Given the region's reputation for excessive partying, Richards stressed the importance of 'Be A Giant' which he said has drawn positive response in the eastern Caribbean, especially Trinidad and Tobago.

"The message we are trying to send is, if you're leaving a party and you find that you can't help yourself, call a cab or get someone to pick you up," Richards explained. "It may save lives."

Since he became involved with the project four years ago, Richards has travelled throughout the Caribbean. He is concerned that little focus is placed on designated driver awareness in most of the islands.

"I lived in England for a period of time and there's a fair amount of drinking there, but if people are intoxicated they would call a friend or close relative to get them home," he said. "I hardly see that in the Caribbean."

He pointed to some positives in Trinidad and Tobago where he has discussed road-safety measures with transport minister Austin Warner. Legislation was passed in that country in 2009 for breathalyser testing.

In March, Jamaica's police commissioner Owen Ellington ordered the mandatory use of breathalyser machines following all motor vehicle crashes and road-traffic breaches.

The Road Safety Unit at the Ministry of Transport and Works which monitors traffic accidents and fatalities, was unable to give statistics on how many persons have died as a result of drunk driving in Jamaica during the past three years.

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Pete McFarlane, a spokesperson for Johnnie Walker, said Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago will be the focus of Be A Giant's 2011 thrust. The company's Facebook drive follows television and display ads which featured Richards during the West Indies' recent home series against England, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Richards, who played 121 Test matches for the West Indies between 1974-91, is arguably the greatest batsman in the history of cricket. He is among a group of high-profile sportsman recruited by Johnnie Walker to promote 'Be A Giant', others being Australian golfer Greg Norman and Formula One champion Mika Hakkinen.

The Designated Driver concept has grown considerably throughout Europe and North America where hundreds of lives have been lost to drunk driving.

Major international companies such as Coca Cola and Budweiser have funded 'don't drink and drive' campaigns.