Facing up to responsibilities: Zain Kuwait launches ‘Drive Zain’ safety campaign

– Zain Management: “We have a moral obligation to promote safe and responsible driving”

Zain, the leading mobile network operator in Kuwait, in collaboration with and under the auspices of Kuwait’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hamoud Al-Sabah and the Kuwait Ministry of Interior (MOI) has launched ‘Drive Zain’, a humanitarian multimedia awareness and action campaign to highlight the dangers of using mobile phones while driving, one of the core Corporate Social Responsibility mandates for the world’s mobile operators.

The first phase will witness a comprehensive multimedia campaign, which Zain’s other operations across the Middle East will soon adopt, rests on shocking mobile phone users into awareness. Slogans such as “Ignore your best friend”, “Reject your mom’s call” and “Hang up on your wife” highlight the importance of not being distracted while driving, while more graphic messages, such as an image of a burning car with the slogan “Got the message?” and actual crashed vehicles placed in public spaces will be used to reinforce the idea of responsible motoring.

The multimedia campaign will utilize a diversity of TV, Print, Billboards and Radio media outlets; Talk shows and interviews; Facebook and Twitter Social Media and much more.

Phase two of the ‘Drive Zain’ safety awareness action program will include Zain Kuwait holding road shows with the MOI to visit private and government schools and universities; Establish open panel sessions to encourage dialogue between MOI and youths; Aim at developing applications and services for MOI that are traffic related, inviting youths to participate in the development of such applications; and lobby the Kuwait Parliament to implement safe driving measures and consequences.

“We want Zain to be more than the most innovative telecom operator in the countries where we operate. Irresponsible use of mobile phones is contributing to road accidents and fatalities and we have a moral obligation to promote safe and responsible driving,” commented Khalid Sulaiman Al-Omar, CEO of Zain Kuwait. “If there is a national concern linked to mobile phone use, we need to address it, safeguarding the well-being of the societies we serve and fulfilling on our brand promise of a Wonderful World”

Kuwait has the highest number of traffic related deaths in the world (the Middle East ranks second in the world for road fatalities with a ratio of 26 deaths per 100,000) and the advent of smart phones has only made the situation worse as customers talk, text and even play games while driving. In fact, in 90% of the cases the main factor contributing to accidents is human error and studies indicate a direct link to the use of mobile phones and road accidents

Each year, over 200 people die on Kuwait’s with 6,000 injured, while it is estimated that the emotional trauma affects a further 25,000 friends and relatives. In the first two months of 2011 the Kuwait Ministry of Interior (MOI) registered 9,883 accidents with 75 deaths.

Due to the severity of the situation, the ‘Drive Zain’ campaign will run till the end of this year in a bid to not only raise the awareness levels, but also create long-term behavioral change. In the meantime, Zain, with the MOI, will monitor the campaign, to gauge the improvement in overall awareness, traffic mortality rates, changes in driving behavior and the community satisfaction index.

This major safe driving initiative follows another major humanitarian campaign recently launched by Zain Group, that being the comprehensive and successful 2010 fund raising campaign in supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA).