Media campaigns against alcohol-impaired driving
Media campaigns against alcohol-impaired driving aim to persuade individuals to avoid drinking and driving or to prevent others from doing so. Campaigns often focus on the negative consequences of alcohol-impaired driving, including legal consequences and injury to self, others, or property1. Mass media campaigns can be run via a variety of channels, including TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, billboards, and banners. Digital media campaigns use digital platforms, including websites, social media, text messages, emails, podcasts, videos, and mobile applications2, 3. Campaigns can include public service announcements (PSAs); airtime can be paid or donated1, 4.
What could this strategy improve?
Expected Benefits
Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:
Reduced impaired driving
Reduced alcohol-related crashes
Reduced fatal and non-fatal injuries
What does the research say about effectiveness?
There is some evidence that mass media campaigns reduce alcohol-impaired driving and alcohol-related crashes with injuries and fatalities5, 6, 7. Additional evidence is needed to confirm the effects of digital media campaigns, and campaign characteristics, such as timing and target audience1.
Mass media campaigns without law enforcement components have been shown to reduce alcohol-related crashes resulting in injuries and fatalities among teenage5 and young male drivers, at least in the short term7. An evaluation of a mass media campaign with a workplace education component suggests such efforts can reduce alcohol-related nighttime injury crashes6. Public service announcement (PSA) campaigns on television about alcohol abuse and drunk driving are associated with modest reductions in alcohol-related fatal accidents; airing PSAs during prime time may have greater effects4. Social media campaigns about alcohol use and alcohol-related harms may be effective to reduce drunk driving in some circumstances, especially among heavy drinkers8. A North Carolina-based campaign increased public awareness about drinking and driving, but did not change self-reported drinking and driving behavior9.
Multicomponent community interventions including mass media and social media campaigns may decrease alcohol-related crashes, arrests for driving under the influence10, nighttime crashes among young adults, and increase the use of designated drivers and taxis among heavy drinkers11. Mass media campaigns are sometimes used to publicize law enforcement programs targeting drunk driving; such paired efforts can reduce alcohol-impaired driving and alcohol-related fatal crashes12, 13, 14, 15. However, the sobriety checkpoints employed in such law enforcement efforts can increase the risk of racial profiling, and experts recommend using standardized procedures to select vehicles and drivers to reduce the potential for discriminatory profiling and targeting15, 16.
Experts also recommend that mass media campaigns be paired with strategies like alcohol tax increases, elimination of price discounting such as happy hours, and changing outlet service and sales practices, hours and days of service, and density17. Such campaigns are most effective when their design and dissemination are based on rigorous research and behavior change theories17, 18, and when campaigns are combined with highly visible enforcement and transparent communication about these activities, address community concerns19, and environmental improvements that lead to behavior change20. Effective campaigns use multiple media channels to broaden their reach across diverse audiences21, include strategic communication for target demographics22, and highlight the consequences of drunk driving with a distinct call to action23.
How could this strategy advance health equity? This strategy is rated inconclusive impact on disparities.
It is unclear what impact media campaigns against alcohol-impaired driving may have on disparities in alcohol-impaired driving and alcohol-related crashes. Researchers recommend engaging community members to design culturally tailored social media campaigns29. Culturally appropriate media campaigns better reach the target population and promote healthy behaviors30.
Drivers who are from minoritized racial and ethnic groups and live in the neighborhood with unequal socioeconomic conditions (e.g., high neighborhood poverty) face a higher risk of substance-impaired driving and crashes31, 32; investing more in traffic safety for these communities can reduce the gap32. Male drivers have a higher risk of crashes that involve alcohol-impaired driving than female drivers33, 34.
What is the relevant historical background?
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) was founded in Sacramento, California in 1980. The MADD used TV and newspaper ads and brought national attention to drunk driving in the early 1980s35. In 1983, the Ad Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched the Drunk Driving Prevention campaign, airing TV commercials that illustrated the fatal consequences of drinking and driving to spark behavioral change36.
In the U.S. and other countries, the alcohol industry has aggressively influenced road safety policymaking to protect corporate sales. The industry has strategically developed narratives, been involved in program implementation, funded industry-aligned research on alcohol-related harms, and provided technical assistance to federal governments regarding road safety37. Alcohol industry-sponsored advertisements often include displays of alcohol consumption that lead to the sales of alcohol, normalization of alcohol use, and idealize alcohol consumption in social events; such alcohol industry-sponsored media campaigns weaken traffic safety efforts23.
Equity Considerations
- Which populations are most affected by alcohol-impaired driving in your community? Who needs to be reached by media campaigns against drinking and driving (i.e. teens, adults)?
- How can you engage community members in campaign design? Who can you partner with in your community?
- How do neighborhood conditions, stigma, and other systematic barriers prevent people from adopting and sustaining healthy behaviors in your community? What additional strategies can be implemented to overcome those barriers?
Implementation Examples
Media campaigns are often implemented by state agencies or law enforcement, although coalitions which include health systems and universities can also lead efforts; the Smart Roads program in Pueblo, Colorado included cooperation with alcohol distributors, taxi operators, and liquor store owners and included paycheck inserts, table tents, and posters and banners, strategically placed in local businesses6. The Illinois Department of Transportation’s campaign uses public service announcements (PSAs)24 and has used social media surveys25. Texas develops K-12 education materials for teachers and social media graphics for specific areas of the state as an effort to prevent impaired driving26.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, and Booze It & Lose It are examples of national multimedia campaigns against drunk driving; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also has campaigns designed to reduce drug-impaired driving, and Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over, designed for motorcyclists27. The NHTSA High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Toolkit offers guidance on publicity and recommends including traffic safety partners and community groups, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Urban League, in planning28.
Implementation Resources
‡ Resources with a focus on equity.
NHTSA-Drunk driving - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Drunk driving.
NHTSA-Drug-impaired driving - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Drug-impaired driving.
NHTSA-Ride sober - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Ride sober or get pulled over (motorcyclists).
Footnotes
* Journal subscription may be required for access.
1 Yadav 2015 - Yadav RP, Kobayashi M. A systematic review: Effectiveness of mass media campaigns for reducing alcohol-impaired driving and alcohol-related crashes Health behavior, health promotion and society. BMC Public Health. 2015;15(1):1-17.
2 Sharma 2022 - Sharma, S., Mohanty, V., Balappanavar, A. Y., Chahar, P., & Rijhwani, K. (2022). Role of digital media in promoting oral health: A systematic review. Cureus, 14(9), e28893.
3 Evans 2022a - Evans, W. D., Abroms, L. C., Broniatowski, D., Napolitano, M. A., Arnold, J., Ichimiya, M., & Agha, S. (2022). Digital media for behavior change: Review of an emerging field of study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9129.
4 Niederdeppe 2017 - Niederdeppe J, Avery R, Miller EN. Alcohol-control public service announcements (PSAs) and drunk-driving fatal accidents in the United States, 1996–2010. Preventive Medicine. 2017;99:320-325.
5 Whittam 2006 - Whittam KP, Dwyer W, Simpson PW, Leeming FC. Effectiveness of a media campaign to reduce traffic crashes involving young drivers. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 2006;36(3):614-628.
6 NHTSA-Jones 2005 - Jones R, Rodriguez-Iglesias C, Cyr E. Evaluation of Pueblo County, Colorado’s Smart Roads project. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT); 2005.
7 Murry 1993 - Murry JP, Stam A, Lastovicka JL. Evaluating an anti-drinking and driving advertising campaign with a sample survey and time series intervention analysis. Journal of the American Statistical Association. 1993;88(421):50-56.
8 Yeh 2023 - Yeh, J-C., Niederdeppe, J., Lewis., N. A. Jr., & Jernigan, D. H. (2023). Social media campaigns to influence alcohol consumption and related harms, attitudes, and awareness: A systematic review. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 84(4), 546–559.
9 Farmer 2026 - Farmer, C. M., Eichelberger, A. H., Ezzell, M. M., & Gianni, T. J. (2026). Evaluation of the redesigned “Booze It & Lose It” campaign in North Carolina. Traffic Injury Prevention, 1–8.
10 George 2018a - George, M. D., Bodiford, A., Humphries, C., Stoneburner, K. A., & Holder, H. D. (2018). Media and education effect on impaired driving associated with alcohol service. Journal of Drug Education, 48(3-4), 86–102.
11 Rivara 2012 - Rivara, F. P., Boisvert, D., Relyea-Chew, A., & Gomez, T. (2012). Last call: Decreasing drunk driving among 21-34-year-old bar patrons. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 19(1), 53–61.
12 NHTSA-Lacey 2008 - Lacey JH, Kelley-Baker T, Brainard K, Tippetts S, Lyakhovich M. Evaluation of the Checkpoint Strikeforce program. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT); 2008.
13 NHTSA-Zwicker 2007a - Zwicker TJ, Chaudhary NK, Solomon MG, Siegler JN, Meadows JD. West Virginia’s impaired driving high-visibility enforcement campaign, 2003-2005. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT); 2007.
14 NHTSA-Zwicker 2007b - Zwicker TJ, Chaudhary NK, Maloney S, Squeglia R. Connecticut’s 2003 impaired-driving high-visibility enforcement campaign. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT); 2007.
15 CG-Bergen 2014 - Bergen G, Pitan A, Qu S, et al. Publicized sobriety checkpoint programs: A Community Guide systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2014;46(5):529-539.
16 Fell 2004 - Fell JC, Lacey JH, Voas RB. Sobriety checkpoints: Evidence of effectiveness is strong, but use is limited. Traffic Injury Prevention. 2004;5(3):220-227.
17 NASEM 2018b - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Getting to zero alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: A comprehensive approach to a persistent problem. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press; 2018.
18 NHTSA-Zakrajsek 2023 - Zakrajsek, J. S., Eby, D. W., Molnar, L. J., St. Louis, R. M., Zanier, N., Stanciu, S. C., & Elliott, E. (2023, September). Review of risk communication strategies and existing alcohol impaired and distracted driving safety messages. Technical report (Report No. DOT HS 813 499). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
19 Zeng 2025 - Zeng, L. & Marin, C. (2025). Public perceptions and behavioral intentions regarding impaired driving: Analysis of educational and enforcement strategies. International Conference on Transportation and Development 2025: Transportation Safety and Emerging Technologies.
20 Barnes 2015 - Barnes, R., Bauman, A. E., Giles-Corti, B., Knuiman, M. W., Rosenberg, M., Leyden, K. M., Abildso, C. G., & Reger-Nash, B. (2015). Motivated to walk but nowhere to walk to: Differential effect of a mass media campaign by mix of local destinations. Preventive Medicine Reports, 2, 403–405.
21 Denison 2023 - Denison, B., Dahlen, H., Kim, J.-E. C., Williams, C., Kranzler, E., Luchman, J. N., Trigger, S., Bennett, M., Nighbor, T., Vines, M., Petrun Sayers, E. L., Kurti, A. N., Weinberg, J., Hoffman, L., & Peck, J. (2023). Evaluation of the “We Can Do This” campaign paid media and COVID-19 vaccination uptake, United States, December 2020–January 2022. Journal of Health Communication, 28(9), 573–584.
22 TTI-Womack 2024 - Womack, K. N., & Johnson, N. A. (2024). Highway safety media campaign awareness and attitudes: Final report (Report No. 0092-23-12). Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI).
23 Vital Strategies 2025 - Vital Strategies. (2025). How the alcohol industry steers governments away from effective strategies to curb drink driving: Insights from advertising research (Research Paper No. RS034).
24 IDOT-Drive Sober - Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Drive Sober.
25 Rosenfeld 2017a - Rosenfeld J. Impact of safety campaigns on reducing drunk driving. The National Law Review. 2017.
26 NHTSA-Fell 2024 - Fell, J., & Kubelka, J. (2024, April). Best practices of successful state impaired-driving task forces. Report No. DOT HS 813 496. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
27 NHTSA-TSM - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic Safety Marketing (TSM).
28 NHTSA-HVE - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Toolkit.
29 Lee 2026 - Lee, J. J., Paipilla, K. A., Aguirre, J., Alarcon, P., Cruz, Y., Zuniga, M., Verdugo, J. L., Vo, K., Orellana, E. R., & Graham, S. M. (2026). Development of a social media campaign to support HIV prevention and care among transgender Latina women: Community-engaged mixed methods feasibility pilot study. JMIR Formative Research, 10, e79606.
30 Wallington 2018 - Wallington, S. F., Oppong, B., Iddirisu, M., & Adams-Campbell, L. L. (2018). Developing a mass media campaign to promote mammography awareness in African American women in the nation’s capital. Journal of Community Health, 43, 633–638.
31 Oh 2025 - Oh, S., Edwards, M., & Simmons, A. J. (2025). The nexus between neighborhood socioeconomic environment and substance-positive driving behavior: A spatial analysis in the Chicago metropolitan area. Journal of Safety Research, 95, 476–485.
32 Metzger 2025 - Metzger, K. B., Smith, R., Freed, S. A., Sartin, E., Pfeiffer, M. R., O'Malley, L., & Curry, A. E. (2025). Applying individual- and residence-based equity measures to characterize disparities in crash outcomes. Journal of Safety Research, 92, 522–531.
33 Pelletti 2024 - Pelletti, G., Boscolo-Berto, R., Anniballi, L., Giorgetti, A., Pirani, F., Cavallaro, M., Giorgini, L., Fais, P., Pascali, J. P., & Pelotti, S. (2024). Prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving: A systematic review with a gender-driven approach and meta-analysis of gender differences. International Journal of Legal Medicine, 138, 2523–2540.
34 Barry 2022 - Barry, V., Schumacher, A., & Sauber-Schatz, E. (2022). Alcohol-impaired driving among adults—USA, 2014–2018. Injury Prevention, 28(3), 211-217.
35 MADD History - MADD. (n.d.). MADD History: Celebrating pivotal moments that propelled our mission forward. Accessed June 3, 2026.
36 AEF - ANA Educational Foundation (AEF). (n.d.). Drunk driving prevention (1983–present). Accessed June 3, 2026.
37 Hoe 2020 - Hoe, C., Taber, N., Champagne, S., & Bachani, A. M. (2020). Drink, but don't drive? The alcohol industry’s involvement in global road safety. Health Policy and Planning, 35(10), 1328–1338.
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