In 50 years, drinking and driving has gone from a routine hazard to an anti-social menace. We take a look at the advertising campaigns that have saved lives. It has been 50 years since the first government campaign to combat drink-driving and during that time there have been dramatic changes in legislation, attitudes and thankfully the number of casualties. Here is a retrospective look at how drink driving has been tackled in the last half-century in the UK.
1960s
Attitudes to drinking and driving were far more liberal than today. Accurate records weren’t kept until much later, but in 1967 1,640 road fatalities were attributed to alcohol. Remember that there were far, far fewer cars on the road in those days. That year was also the point that the Road Safety Act incorporated the legal alcohol limit and made it an offence to drive under the influence.
It was 1964 that saw the first public information film to tackle the problem of drink-driving, called ‘Office Party’. It may seem light hearted in comparison to modern equivalents and could be seen as sexist in tone with the tag line ‘Don’t ask a man to drink and drive’, but even today drink-driving convictions for males outweigh females by almost a factor of five.
Number of drink-drive fatalaties (1967): 1,640
1970s
The roads had become much busier, but following the legislation introduced during the previous decade there was an immediate fall in the proportion of deaths associated to alcohol. However, attitudes were still firmly rooted in earlier times. A survey revealed that half of male drivers polled were drink-driving on a weekly basis. Alcohol was named as a factor in 35 per cent of crashes in 1975, 20 per cent more than the first year of legislation in 1968.
The 1978 public information film The Difference had a much more modern tone compared to earlier examples, showing how easily alcohol can affect a driver and, more shockingly, the possible consequences.
Number of drink-drive fatalaties (1979): 1,640
1980s
The 1980s saw the most significant reduction in drink-drive casualties over the entire 50-year period, with fatalities in 1989 almost halved compared to the beginning of the decade. Drink-driving was no longer something that most people did on a regular basis and the increasing prevalence of breath-testing and the increasing sophistication of the testing equipment had a significant effect.
The public information films of this period also reflect this shift. The earlier films such as Party from 1980 and Stupid Git from 1982 still carry the slogan: ‘Think before you drink before you drive’ and illustrate practical consequences. However, the hard-hitting The Fireman’s Story from 1987 is much more dramatic in tone with the slogan ‘Drinking and driving wrecks lives’.
Number of drink-drive fatalaties (1989): 810
1990s
Drink-driving fatalities were down overall during the 1990s although the fall was less significant and also showed a rise in the middle of the decade. 540 were killed each year from 1993 through to 1995, but 1996 saw 580 deaths before a fall to 460 by 1998. With fewer casual drink drivers on the roads the campaigns had to tackle more persistent offenders – a much tougher target.
The ‘no-holds-barred’ tone of the public information films continued with Kathy from 1990, possibly the most impactful of the decade. The Summertime film from 1994 also highlighted the fact that peak summer periods held the risk of temptation just as much as Christmas.
Number of drink-drive fatalaties (1999): 460
2000s
Despite relentless campaigning moving into the third millennium, the first five years of the 2000s saw drink-driving fatalities higher than that at the end of the 1990s. The total number of drink-driving convictions in 2003 reached 80,715 – 71,471 of those being male. Over the longer term the picture looked better. By 2008 drink was responsible for a sixth of all road fatalities, down from a quarter in 1967.
The public information films of the period continued to graphically illustrate the consequences of drink-driving, but it is Moment of Doubt from 2007 that cleverly shows how all aspects of an individual’s life can be affected by a conviction.
Number of drink-drive fatalaties (2009): 380
2010
While the target will always be zero drink-drive fatalities the most recent statistics show how much has changed in 50 years. In 2012 there were 230 drink-drive fatalities, a seventh of the number that occurred in 1967. Young adults remain the most at risk, with 16- to 24-year-olds involved in a third of drink-drive deaths or serious injuries. However, in 2014 76 per cent agree that it’s not safe to drive after two drinks – a significant change compared to the 1960s.
The Think! campaign is marking its 50th anniversary with a new public information film but Pub Loo Shocker is arguably one of the most dramatic examples ever made, using modern special effects to create a shocking and dramatic conclusion.
Number of drink-drive fatalaties (2012): 230