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New approach in Scottish drink drive campaign

A drink drive TV commercial produced by Road Safety Scotland veers away from the use of loss of life and injury - instead focusing on financial and lifestyle consequences.

Figures produced by DfT estimate that drink driving was responsible for about 50 deaths and 230 serious injuries in Scotland during 2003. ACPO's Road Policing Standing Committee is keen to see the drink-drive limit reduced and more powers given to police to tackle the issue.

Summer and the festive season are key times for drink driving and the new commercial broke on 12 June to coincide with the World Cup. Supporting materials with a football theme have also been circulated throughout Scotland.

Evaluation carried out during the 2003-2004 festive campaign showed that drink driving is most prevalent among young men, and that there is a lack of acceptance about the amount of alcohol that affects driving competence. The research also showed that people do not believe they will be caught, and that images of injury and loss of life do not prevent drink-driving behaviour.      

The study concluded that the messages most likely to influence behaviour relate to financial/lifestyle consequences - namely, losing your licence and being banned from driving. These findings underpin the approach taken in the new commercial.

The commercial shows a drink driver being stopped by police - but he is then confronted by his six year old son asking him why he had to drink, and who will take him to school?

At the police station he is confronted by the image of his pregnant wife worried about their future, and then his boss who sacks him.

The commercial concludes with the strapline: 'The consequences of drink driving just start with being arrested - don't risk it.'

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