Unilever has joined forces with the National transport and safety authority (NTSA) to train 200 truck drivers in Kenya on road safety.
The initiative, named "Drive to Zero," focuses on six key areas, including driver fitness, behavior on the job, vehicle fitness, road risk, post-accident care, and collaboration with institutions like NTSA.
Unilever Kenya's Managing Director, Luck Ochieng, said that the goal to achieving zero incidents of accidents is through equipping drivers with defensive driving skills.
“This kind of partnership with national networks helps to identify and promote good practice in safety management and enhances corporate social responsibility," said Ochieng'.
The partnership with NTSA aims to promote safety management practices and corporate social responsibility.
During the one-day workshop in Nairobi, NTSA Deputy Director Duncan Kibogong highlighted the importance of driver training in reducing road crashes.
He encouraged ongoing training, especially during the festive season, aligning with NTSA's "DereSmart" road safety campaign.
"We encourage that such training becomes a continuous process to achieve the “Drive to Zero” campaign goals, especially with the upcoming festive season," said Kibogong.
Road traffic injuries pose significant social, economic, and public health challenges, with an estimated 4,500 deaths for the year 2022 and 3500 deaths caused by road accidents in 2023 so far.
The majority of accidents result from preventable human-related factors such as speeding, reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, and drunk driving.
Head of Supply Chain, East Africa Richard Bogita, stressed the need for defensive driving, urging drivers to be mindful of road hazards and vulnerable road users.
The workshop which included defensive driving awareness sessions, case study reviews, and a medical camp to assess drivers' fitness for driving aims at advocating for proper road safety measures that ensure passengers and cargo reach the intended destination safely.
The Unilever Internal Safety Workshop targets various groups, including employees, drivers, contractors, suppliers, visitors, and the general public.
This is to reinforce the shared responsibility for road safety. The collaboration aims to enhance safety on the roads through continuous training and awareness programs.
