The summer season is a time of high risk for drinking and driving, particularly for the persistent drinking driver. Advertising campaigns for alcohol products are at one of the highest levels of the year. Multiple media outlets target young adults with sophisticated advertising messages that promote unlimited alcohol consumption.
These messages are heard, seen and viewed through television ads, radio ads, promotional tie-ins, promotional items and billboards. At the same time, messages that promote drunk driving prevention are at a lower level than at other times, such as during the Christmas and New Year holiday season.
Analysis by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning has reinforced the likelihood that the danger of drinking and driving is especially high in connection with summer recreational activities.
In 1998, drinking related injury crashes in Michigan were highest in July (839), August (854), and December (820). Saturday and Sunday had the highest proportions of alcohol-related fatal crashes in Michigan in 1998. Two hundred and sixty seven out of 585 of the weekend fatal crashes involved drinking.
Therefore, SEMCA has proposed the “By Land Or By Sea, Alcohol Free” campaign.
The goal of this campaign is to support the distribution of media-based messages and resources to promote the reduction of alcohol-related crashes in Southeast Michigan by 21-55 year old adults during the summer months.
The project will be carried out in cooperation with local law enforcement officials, the Wayne County Sheriff Marine Division, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), the United States Coast Guard and others concerned with reducing alcohol-related crashes.
The project will be coordinated by the Prevention Coalition of Southeast Michigan (PREVCO), a licensed substance abuse agency. SEMCA hopes that the outcome of these efforts will be a decrease in drinking/driving crashes during the summer months by increasing media, business and law enforcement-based messages and supportive activities promoting less drinking and driving on the waterways of Southeast Michigan by 21-55 year old adults during the summer.
This outcome goal will be measured in two ways: 1. Number of partners involved in activities promoting the “By Land or Sea, Drive Alcohol Free” message, number of promotional items distributed, and number of other media coverage and PSA messages used.
2. Impact on the number and severity of alcohol-related crashes, over time. On May 1, 2001 the partners convened a meeting to evaluate the year 2000 summer campaign and plan for the strategy and distribution for year 2001.
Representatives from PREVCO staff, local law enforcement officials, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), The US Coast Guard, The Wayne County Sheriff Marine Division and SEMCA were invited to attend the meeting and participate in the project.
They also discussed developing promotional materials with the anti-drinking message for distribution during this campaign. Items such as: can coolers, floating key chains, neck totes, water bottles, cocktail napkins, window clings, T-shirts, whistles, frisbees, are being considered for distribution.
Items such as these are typically used in boating. It is our goal that if these promotional items are present in a situation where people are drinking and boating, people will think twice about the danger that they are exposing themselves to and those around them. We are currently recruiting partners for the distribution of these materials. We are considering: Marinas, Boat Gas Docks, Restaurants, Bars, Party Stores, and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department-Marine Division. Listen this summer for radio and television public service announcements about the dangers of drinking and driving. In addition to public service announcements, we will be developing and distributing serveral training videos to local bars and restaurants.
Drinking and driving accidents are 100 percent preventable! If everyone in Wayne and Monroe counties would either choose to not drink and drive themselves, or choose to stop someone else from drinking and driving, we could reduce the number of alcohol related accidents to zero.
Let’s make a difference this summer. Together we can save lives on land and sea!