16 September 2004

This drink-driving ad belongs in the toilet

The toilet at your local pub might be the last place you’d expect to see an anti drink driving message, but the unexpected is about to become reality with a new safe driving campaign from the Land Transport Safety Authority.

Urinals in almost 260 pubs and hotels across the country will be the latest unconventional medium for getting the sober driving message through to those who need it most, when the they need it most.

“This will definitely be a ‘moment of truth’ experience for any bloke who goes to the toilet in one of the participating pubs. These advertisements are designed to get men thinking of the consequences of drinking and driving before they make the wrong decision,” LTSA General Manager Communication and Education Liz Taylor-Read said today.

One of two messages will be revealed at the urinal, either “if you drink then don’t drive you’re a bloody legend” or “if you drink then drive you’re a bloody idiot”.

“Male drivers are our primary drink-drive audience. Crash statistics from the past 18 months show 81% of drinking drivers in crashes were male,” says Ms Taylor-Read.

“We’ve been working closely with the Hotel Association of New Zealand on this initiative, and its members have volunteered to take part as an innovative host responsibility measure. The support from HANZ and its members has been fantastic.”
By the end of September almost 260 pubs and hotels will have the urinal billboards in place.

Last year 131 people were killed in drink-driving crashes – compared to 108 in 2002 and 117 in 2001.
Drinking drivers kill and injure a substantial number of other people each year. Last year they injured or killed 580 of their own passengers, 310 occupants of other vehicles and 45 pedestrians and cyclists.

ENDS

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