17 April 2023, Shanghai, China - UNITAR in collaboration with China Communication Television Broadcasting Network, CIFAL Hubei, CIFAL Shanghai and Pernod Ricard China launched a national competition throughout Chinese universities and colleges called “The Autosobriety Challenge". The challenge is seeking innovative proposals from students enrolled in Chinese universities and colleges, encouraging them to leverage their creativity to promote public education on alcohol-related issues, such as advocating for sober driving, to enhance road safety in China.

The "Autosobriety Challenge" consists of two distinct phases intending to further support the Autosobriety Training Programme to Prevent Drink-Driving in China and make Chinese roads safer. The first phase will be focusing on the development of a training kit, while the second phase will be focusing on its dissemination throughout the country.

To enter the competition, students will be required to study the Autosobriety Training Programme to Prevent Drink-Driving, an educational training manual produced by UNITAR, and pass a knowledge online test. Subsequently, students will need to develop a training kit including a poster, a video, and a creative brief, to promote more effective public education on the prevention of alcohol whilst driving. The training kit should highlight themed sections from the training manual, including the effects of alcohol on the human body and driving performance, Chinese laws and regulations on defining and penalizing drink-driving, and strategies to prevent drink-driving.

On May 27th, a jury composed of road safety experts, scholars, government officers and advisors at driving schools will select the best training kits and announce the winning teams. Those teams will receive rewards and internship opportunities within key implementing partners’ organizations to further support the training programme’s objectives to prevent drink-driving on the road. Additionally, their training kits will be distributed to driving schools, colleges, universities, and the general public.

Road safety is a major issue globally. As road users, let’s all be involved and ensure that we take every step to save a life on our roads. Training and education are key drivers to advance road safety. Through the Autosobriety Programme, we aim to reach an important number of drivers in China and Shanghai, and this serves as a tool for other locations that wish to implement it as well. Wu Yugang, Deputy Director, CIFAL Shanghai.

Closely related to our daily life, road safety is a top priority that concerns everyone’s well-being. Through the Autosobriety Challenge, we hope to engage the young generation and amplify their voice on the global issue of road safety. By drawing on their imagination and creativity, we seek to contribute collective wisdom and action that promotes the targets of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. Tian Xiangchuan, Director, CIFAL Hubei.