Does anyone ever passionately want to be the designated driver (DD) when they go out to bars with their friends?
While selecting a DD is the responsible thing to do, even that doesn’t ensure safe rides home: 41 percent of DDs have been drinking and 20 percent can be considered impaired drivers, according to NPR. Right now bars are doing something to help the DD stay sober, but if 20 percent are driving away impaired when they were supposed to be the DD, then it is not enough. According to Alcoholic Alert, 9,878 drunk driving deaths were recorded in 2011 (which was 38 percent of all fatal car accidents in the United States). This issue is obviously a serious one, and driving the message home hard has been an obstacle.
PSAs and nonprofit organizations like MADD try to promote safe driving habits, but they are not the only ones. This Wisdom.Applied Wednesday, let’s look at what brands and bars are doing to promote DDs and make being sober the cool choice.
Captain Morgan
Set in the Caribbean in the 1600s, this Captain Morgan commercial features a different kind of sober driving.
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker gives a toast to their DD.
Budweiser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdTpWAMsSNw
Budweiser, the King of Beers, can also be called the King of DD ads because they have done several spots addressing the issue and enlist big names such as Cedric the Entertainer, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Tim McGraw (featured above) to help get the message across. The mentioned DD commercials are all Super Bowl spots, so the brand put them center stage to get them even more views.
Bar Incentives
Unique circumstances require unique solutions; some bars are offering the DD non-alcoholic drinks such as free soda or lemonade, while it may not be the strongest anti-drinking policy it is a start. Sometimes it is difficult finding someone who wants to go out and stay sober. So how does a restaurant or bar maintain a safe driver’s policy while also maintaining profitability?
Driver Services
Of course brands promote safe responsible drinking, but some companies make drinking responsibly into a business by offering driver services. U Drink I Drive and Be my Designated Driver are Chicago driver services where drivers come to a person’s house and drive that person’s car to/from the bars, so that the drinker doesn’t become a driver. They make sure people and their cars come back from the bar safely. These drivers get paid per hour and normally receive a tip at the end of the night. The service takes away the need to phone a cab, which reduce the complications of dealing with a cab driver who is not happy to be driving drunk people, and are less expensive than a limo service. While some people may find it hard to trust a stranger with their car, it is a better solution than drunk driving… that is until people can get dogs to drive them home.
With dramatic increases in impaired drivers during this season, Summer is one of the most dangerous times to be on the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These brands, bars and services drive home one message: drink responsibly; don’t drink and drive.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://wpmaster.sjadv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Our-Space-The-San-Jose-Group.png[/author_image] [author_info]Kevin is a Junior Executive at SJG. He earned his BBA in 2014 from Robert Morris University. In his spare time, you can find him at the beach playing volleyball or in a gym playing basketball. [/author_info] [/author]