Strategic advertising plans to deter drunk driving

Graham, John; Winston, Jay; Isaac, Nancy; Kennedy, Bruce · 1996 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This study, conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), aimed to identify and profile subpopulations at highest risk for drinking and driving, as well as individuals capable of intervening in such behavior. The primary objective was to determine which media strategies and messages would most effectively motivate these "interveners" to deter drunk driving. The research combined epidemiological data analysis with qualitative and quantitative social research to build a comprehensive psychodemographic profile of high-risk drivers. The methodology involved linking the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) database with the CLARITAS marketing database to analyze the demographic, lifestyle, and media preferences of male drivers involved in alcohol-involved fatal crashes. This quantitative analysis was supplemented by a literature review, 14 focus groups with high-risk males (white, ages 21–35, blue-collar), and a national telephone survey of 750 young adult males. The survey specifically oversampled "cases"—men who had driven after consuming five or more drinks in the past two months—to compare their attitudes and behaviors against "controls." The FARS and CLARITAS analyses revealed that alcohol-involved fatally injured drivers are predominantly men aged 16–34 with very high blood alcohol concentrations (67% had a BAC of .15 or higher). These individuals were significantly over-represented in rural and small-town geodemographic clusters, such as "Middle America" and "Country Folk," characterized by blue-collar occupations, lower socioeconomic status, and specific media preferences like country radio and fishing magazines. The survey and focus groups confirmed that high-risk males are typically heavy beer drinkers who believe they can drive safely after consuming large quantities of alcohol. They often rationalize accidents as judgment errors rather than alcohol-related issues and view legal sanctions as mere nuisances. Crucially, the study found that these men are most influenced by intimate partners, such as girlfriends or spouses, who possess credibility through close interpersonal relationships. The significance of these findings lies in the identification of specific targets for anti-DWI campaigns. Rather than targeting the high-risk drivers directly with fear-based or legalistic messages, which the study suggests are ineffective due to the drivers' oppositional attitudes toward authority, interventions should focus on their significant others. The research provides detailed media and lifestyle profiles to help tailor messages to these interveners, suggesting that effective deterrence relies on leveraging the influence of trusted peers and partners who can detect signs of intoxication and intervene before driving occurs.

Key finding

Female partners and close friends are perceived by high-risk male drinkers as the most credible and effective interveners, while legal sanctions are viewed as ineffective deterrents.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Sample size: 750

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• public messaging
• dui enforcement