Slogans can't stop drink driving
Drivers in Jia Jiang county, Sichuan province, have been seething with anger after seeing two banners hung up by traffic policemen that read: "Drunk drivers, hospital has prepared beds for you" and "Drink driving is the way to the grave". These "drunk slogans", so dubbed by the media, should be banned just like drink driving, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpt:
Slogans with "vicious" elements should not be used to remind drivers that drink driving is prohibited because many drivers see them as a threat and not deterrence. Public service departments, including traffic management bureaus, should adopt persuasive means to deter drink driving and deal with the public with civility. It seems the person who thought about the slogans was himself drunk.
There has been a public outcry across the country after a series of fatal accidents in recent months, prompting the Ministry of Public Security to launch a nationwide crackdown.
But "drunk slogans" should not be part of the campaign, for they only serve to reflect the indifference with which traffic policemen have been dealing with drink driving. Drink driving deserves zero tolerance, but so do "drunk slogans". We hope we can live in a society that is devoid of drink driving and "drunk slogans" both.
(China Daily 08/20/2009 page9)
