NHTSA and the Ad Council Launch New PSAs Highlighting How Today’s Decision To Drive Buzzed Can Disrupt Tomorrow’s Plans

The Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have launched new public service advertisements (PSAs) as part of their ongoing Buzzed Driving Prevention campaign. The creative positions alcohol-impaired driving as flirting with fate, highlighting how the choice to drive buzzed increases the chance of devastating repercussions that can derail short-term plans and have a lasting impact on the future.

Alcohol-impaired driving remains a critical public safety issue. NHTSA’s latest data show 11,904 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving at least one drunk driver in 2024, with one death every 44 minutes. Young people ranging from ages 21 to 24 represented the highest percentage (28%) of impaired drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes compared to other age groups that year, followed by 25 to 34 year old drivers at 27%. Additionally, for every four male drunk drivers involved in a fatal crash that year, there was one female drunk driver involved (8,889 versus 2,209). These critical findings underscore the importance of reaching young men in particular with buzzed driving prevention messages.

The new PSA, “Rideshare,” created in collaboration with independent creative agency Curiosity, challenges how young adults think about alcohol-impaired driving. It encourages them to consider what’s at stake, the upcoming moments and opportunities they put at risk when they get behind the wheel buzzed. The creative illustrates how the decision to drive after drinking can disrupt their lives, and potentially lead to irreversible outcomes.

“Young people may not consider how driving buzzed today could affect their plans for tomorrow,” said Michelle Hillman, Chief Campaign & Program Officer, the Ad Council. “The new creative puts the everyday experiences they could miss out on, a night out with friends, a first date or Sunday’s game, right in the back seat of the car. We’re not asking them to imagine the consequences; we’re showing them firsthand just how much they have to lose.”

“Driving buzzed can cost you everything – your friends, your job, your future, your freedom, or even your life,” said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison. “We’re teaming up with the Ad Council to remind young people of all that they’re jeopardizing when they choose to drive buzzed. We’re encouraging them to make the responsible choice and arrange for a sober ride, because their future is far too bright to risk.”

“To resonate with the audience, we knew we couldn’t come across as expected or preachy, so we created a spot that skewed more short film than ad,” said Matt Cragnolin, Group Creative Director at Curiosity. “We partnered with Academy Award-winning director Sam Davis, of ‘The Singers’ fame. His incredible eye for authentic moments and gripping cinematography depicts the harsh realities of driving buzzed in a relatable and impactful way.”

The new campaign assets will be distributed across TV, radio, print, Out-Of-Home (OOH) and digital across the country in time and space donated by the Ad Council’s media partners.

Source: The Ad Council

  Advertising, Agency, Campaign, Curiosity, NHTSA, OOH, The Ad Council