DES'LL DO NICELY!

The designated non-drinking driver campaign, DES, has grown into a big success. Margaret Michie from the Portman Group gives it a seasonal push

The cute new mascot for DES is the latest addition to the anti drink drive campaign that launched five years ago. The mascot symbolises the unique appeal of DES: the fact that anyone can be the designated non-drinking driver - male or female, and any age - who gets his or her friends home safely. DES does everything but drink.

As the only designated non-drinking driver campaign in the UK, "I'll be DES" aims to reduce driver impairment, and death and injury caused by drink driving. Road safety professionals have been foremost in promoting the anti drink drive message and encouraging drivers to designate a non-drinking driver when they're using the car to go out.

RSO support and encouragement has taken the campaign message right into the heart of local communities where it needs to be heard. Through their local contacts - especially with pubs and clubs - DES materials have been distributed to the public, helping to make more drivers aware of road safety - and it's definitely having an impact.

Success from the start
When it launched in October 1999, DES targeted primarily 18-40 year old male football supporters who, research showed, were most at risk of death or injury from drink-related incidents. Gary Lineker, BBC's 'Match of the Day' presenter, and Graeme le Saux, then playing for Chelsea, lent their support together with Scottish International player Alan Hansen, and English international John Barnes.

For the first time, two clubs with the most famous rivalry in world football joined forces to back the DESignated non-drinking driver message: Rangers and Celtic carried a joint message in their New Year's Old Firm game programme. Other top soccer clubs and players rapidly signed up to join the DES campaign recognising its relevance and importance to the game, and supporters.

The licensed trade wasn't far behind in lending its considerable support either: encouraging customers nationwide to designate a non-drinking driver to get supporters home safely after matches. With DES an automatic selection for Euro 2000, the campaign recruited both managers and players well into the new season.

DES' significance has always been its appeal to an audience of both men and women drivers - those working in road safety and promoting safe driving practices and also consumers who need to get the 'don't drink and drive' message.

A range of key organisations has backed DES from the start including the licensed trade; pubwatch schemes; police and council RSOs; the DfT; and health promotion professionals and establishments. Each sector has a particular role to play in promoting the message.

A new phase of DES kicked off in 2001 featuring more initiatives in the pub trade as licensees got behind the message with 'pay back pints', free soft drinks and non-alcoholic cocktails. Hundreds of thousands of free DES resource materials were taken up by the trade with the total number of items bursting through the 1.5 million mark in July 2001 - about the same time that the campaign picked up an award.

The Prince Michael International Road Safety Award scheme recognises both achievement and innovations in improving road safety and The Portman Group's DESignated driver campaign won a Special Award in July 2001.

Moving onwards and upwards
With the development of both a licensees' pack and a road safety officer resource bag, DES was fit for new challenges in the following years. Over 3000 packs were distributed to the licensed trade during 2002 with uptake doubling in the following year. 2004 looks set to break this record.

DES is always a popular resource with road safety officers who, thanks to grants from the DfT, can order their bags free of charge. In partnership with the Armed Services, DES is certainly reaching the parts that other campaigns haven't yet reached.

Last year saw the campaign updated with improved DES branded materials that included button badges, keyfobs, 't' shirts and posters. The RAC also emerged as a new partner. Its six million members together with the British School of Motoring (BSM), found an ideal match for DES.

The campaign undertook a social attitudes survey to establish the extent of awareness of the designated driving campaign, and the knowledge and understanding of the problems associated with drink driving. This was conducted after the drink-drive figures released by the DfT showed an increase in both fatalities and casualties among 20-30 year olds who were over the limit, and before the traditional festive season anti drink-drive television advertising campaign. Drinking and driving is still commonplace, not only over the festive period, but all year round.

The survey findings underlined this problem. Three in 10 of those interviewed admitted to drinking and driving and were using the familiar excuses: 'I've only had a couple - I'm fine to drive', 'Everyone does it' and 'I won't get stopped'.   However, two-thirds had not only heard of the DES campaign but had also been a designated non-drinking driver. The survey provided a snapshot of the drinking and driving habits and reinforced the message to drivers to take their driving responsibilities seriously and to stop drinking and driving. The DES campaign enables motorists to do just that.

DES has developed from a campaign aimed at 18-40 year old male football supporters to a grassroots campaign that engages key stakeholders in the licensed trade, the road safety and health sectors. Its customer base has grown so that this year over 20,000 DES licensee packs and 1000 DES RSO resource bags are available to promote the 'don't drink and drive' message.

With DES, this festive season should be a good one so order your DES RSO bags now and spread some Christmas cheer in your community.

Visit www.portmangroup.org.uk to order your DES materials or you can email: info@portmangroup.org.uk.