Buzzed Driving - Stretcher

Drunk or impaired driving killed nearly 13,000 people in 2007. That's one person every 40 minutes. That makes it everyone's problem.

It seems that many people were doing their part to put a stop to this completely preventable epidemic. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities reached a low point in the late 1990s. Research also indicates that 62% of Americans exposed to the now-iconic Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk campaign have personally intervened to stop someone from driving drunk, no doubt saving countless lives.

However, since the late 90's, alcohol-related driving deaths have been steadily increasing. It seems that though the campaign was very successful, it did not change the behavior of many potential impaired drivers. Many thought the messages to be targeted at overtly drunk drivers, and not them. When decision time came, they would consider themselves merely "buzzed" and get behind the wheel.

The new PSAs created to address this gap were released in December 2005 with the objective to inspire dialogue and recognition of the dangers of "buzzed" driving and subsequently, to motivate people to stop driving buzzed. The next installment expands on this message, equating buzzed driving and drunk driving and demonstrating the devastating consequences that can occur as a result of buzzed driving. The overall campaign hopes to educate people that consuming even a few drinks can impair driving and that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• ad council
• psa
• buzzed driving
• drunk driving
• drunkdriveprevent

[hitokage4]

@travelsonic -- You are the exact reason these messages are being put on air and online. The point is that when you drink, your reaction times start to slow down dramatically. What you could have stopped for, a turn too tight, a car suddenly stopping, a light that changes too quickly... you might not be able to stop for. When your reaction time slows down, you are putting not only yourself but everyone else on the road in danger.

[travelsonic]

I am under the impression that many of these analogies the AC is using to make their point are quite exaggerated and take away from the serious tone of their message.

Obviously if you drink a beer or two at most you are for the most part - barring any liver condition - not going to be SO impared that you crash into a telephone pole.

[outlaw2747]

Ad Council pretty much lets the ads be known. It is the other companies that create the ads and send them to the Ad Council to distribute them. They are the ones that create the PSAs so these guys need to get on the ball and create some serious stuff. not the watered down waste of film we see these days.

[ILoveES33]

I hate to say it, but I think the Ad Council needs to take a tack from other countries. Try "Mr. Death" from Australia, (only that one was for driving without a seatbelt on). Or try "Nightmare" also from Australia. Or "Spin The Wheel" & "Under Pressure" both from New Zealand's LTNZ. Or the COI's "Just one more Dave!" from the UK. Much scarrier, but brings the point home better (in my personal opinion).

[Darkest797]

Both fatal choices. Fight under-age abuse of alchohoL!

[marsman888]

Thats a serious message. 1 person every 40 minutes? people need to stop buzz and drunk driving.

[PinkDiva96]

first comment!!!!