In 2006 The Traffic Investigation Unit attended 45 Fatal Road traffic Collisions, 22% of which were alcohol related. In addition the T.I.U. were called to 81 serious injury collisions, 11% of which were alcohol related. Although these statistics are only based on the 126 most serious collisions which occurred during the year they make sobering reading.
Any amount of alcohol can impair reaction times and the consequences can be devastating, as the previous years statistics affirm.
There's no fast way to get alcohol out of your system - a shower, cup of coffee or other ways of `sobering up' will just not help.
“Think” Campaign Objectives
- To increase awareness of the personal consequences of a drink driving conviction.
- To encourage the belief that 1 or 2 drinks are too many before driving.
- To reinforce and build the social stigma around drink driving.
Key Messages
- THINK! Don't Drink and Drive.
- A drink drive conviction has the potential to ruin your life.
“Think” Target Audience
- All drivers, with particular focus on young men aged 17-29 years.
- 1-3 pint drink drivers, not drunk drivers.
- Young men are consistently over-represented in drink drive casualty figures and research shows they are more likely to admit to driving when over the legal limit or when unsure if they're over the legal limit.
Development of the Current UK Department for Transport “THINK” Strategy
Previous campaigns have aimed to persuade young men of the link between drink driving and crashing. This message has been taken on board but new research has shown that attitudes have altered and that young men now believe that:
- A crash is unlikely after 1-2 drinks.
- Drink drive ads showing a crash are aimed at drunk drivers (more than 3 pints), therefore they opt-out of those messages.
- They're more likely to be over the limit and caught after 1-2 drinks.
- The legal implications of drink driving such as imprisonment, a 12 month driving ban and a criminal record are much more shocking and compelling to them.
Therefore, in order to have a new and realistic conversation with young men about drink driving, the current Campaign aims to shift the conversation on from shock and the risk of killing other people to a focus on the more compelling personal consequences of a drink driving conviction.
For these reasons the campaign focuses on the moment of doubt around the decision whether to have a second pint (as this is the moment that young men start to doubt whether they should drive or not) and highlights that a drink drive conviction has the potential to ruin your life.
For these reasons the campaign focuses on the moment of doubt around the decision whether to have a second pint (as this is the moment that young men start to doubt whether they should drive or not) and highlights that a drink drive conviction has the potential to ruin your life.
Please support our communities and help to protect them by obeying and enforcing traffic law and by educating and encouraging road users to take extra care on winter affected roads.
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