How to design and implement a drinking and driving programme pdf ...

Module 3: How to design and implement a drinking and driving programme
The assumptions for the campaign are that drink-driving is a problem and that the
enforcement of any current legislation is not intense enough.
At an early stage it will be necessary to define (and then refine) the objectives of any
campaign or campaigns. Within the context of drinking and driving a campaign
could be conducted for a number of reasons. For example, it may strive to:
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inform the public of new legislation;
tell the public about increasing enforcement activity;
educate road users about the crash risk associated with consuming any alcohol;
quantify the (personal) risks of driving while over the legal BAC limit;
warn about social consequences to other (“innocent”) parties;
point out the risk of detection;
emphasise the social unacceptability of certain behaviours;
warn about the wide-ranging consequences of being detected.
It is important to specify the campaign objective or objectives from the outset so that
the campaign can be properly planned and conducted – but also so that an appropriate
evaluation can be planned and implemented as part of the campaign.
This would normally be done in discussion with an advertising agency selected to
prepare the campaign materials.
Each of these objectives should be quantifiable. It is therefore necessary first
to ascertain:
• the current level of awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving;
• the current level of compliance with any legislation in place;
• the current level of enforcement.
BOX 3.10: Targeting summer drink-driving, United Kingdom
At first the UK’s drink-drive campaigns focused on drinking during the Christmas period. This was eventually
extended to target summer drinking and driving, and to deliver messages to an audience of potential drinkdrivers
at crucial decision-making moments. The primary target was 17–29 year old males – drink-drivers,
not drunk drivers.
The key objectives of the campaign were:
• to increase awareness of the dangers of having a couple of drinks and driving;
• to educate drivers that they can’t calculate their alcohol limit;
• to shake drivers’ confidence in their own “rules of thumb” for what is “safe” to drink
• before driving;
• to get drivers to think about the consequences of being caught.
The key messages were:
• it takes less than you might think to become a drink-driver;
• you can’t calculate your alcohol limit;
• don’t drink and drive.
More information: www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/drinkdrive/drinkdrive.htm
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