Young Drivers

The national ad targeted young males between the ages of 18 and 34. The survey findings showed that this targeting was successful. For example, in the National Sample, there was greater recall of having seen the ad by 18-34 year old drivers (29.6%) than for older drivers (18.8%).

Figure 7 shows that in the 13 SES States some 51.6% recalled seeing the national ad compared to 30.4% in the 4 Comparison States and 37.1% in the National Sample.

Figure 7 Recall Seeing National Ad on TV Recently Among drivers 18-34
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Q20c.	I’d like to find out if you recall seeing a particular ad on TV recently. It starts with police pulling over drivers, and asking if they had been drinking alcohol. The drivers are then told to step out of the car, and tested to see if they are breaking the drinking and driving laws. The ad ends with the drivers handcuffed, placed in a police car, and shows their mug shots. Do you recall seeing this ad in the past two weeks?
Base:	National All: Before=1,272, After-1,261; US 18-34: Before=355; After=348; Comparison 18-34: Before=589, After=553; SES 18-34: Before=2,068, After=1,963

Similarly, when the young drivers were asked whether they recalled hearing or seeing the national slogan in the past 30 days, there was greater aided recall in the 13 SES States at 66.0%, compared to 55.9% in the 4 Comparison States, and 55.7% in the National Sample (Figure 8).

Figure 8 Aided Recall of National Slogan You Drink & Drive. You Lose. Among drivers 18-34
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Q20c.	Q21. Do you recall hearing or seeing the following slogans in the past 30 days?
Base:	National: Before=355, After=348; Comparison: Before=589, After=533; SES: Before=2,068, After=1,963

Paid Advertising had Bigger Impact on 18-34 Year Olds
In order to assess how effective the targeting of the national ad campaign was in reaching younger drivers, the respondents in the National Sample were grouped into three age categories: 18-34, 35-49 and 50 and older. Since this analysis is based on the National Sample it includes many drivers from States that did not use paid ads and as a result has lower percentages of drivers recalling the national ad (Figure 9).

The results of this analysis clearly showed that there was a greater awareness of the paid ad campaign on the younger drivers than older drivers and the effect decreased as the drivers’ age increased (Figure 9).

Figure 9 Recall Seeing National Ad on TV Recently National Sample by Age
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Q20c.	I’d like to find out if you recall seeing a particular ad on TV recently. It starts with police pulling over drivers, and asking if they had been drinking alcohol. The drivers are then told to step out of the car, and tested to see if they are breaking the drinking and driving laws. The ad ends with the drivers handcuffed, placed in a police car, and shows their mug shots. Do you recall seeing this ad in the past two weeks?
Base:	National: Before=1,272, After=1,261; 18-34: Before=355, After=348; 35-49: Before=438, After=423; 50 plus: Before=457, After=470

After the impaired driving crackdown, 37.1% of 18-34 year old drivers reported seeing the national ad, where-as 31.4% of 35-49 year old drivers and 23.2% of those 50 and older reported seeing the ad. Similarly, a greater increase was observed in the 18-34 year old drivers (29.6% point increase), a smaller increase in the 35-49 year old drivers (17.2% points), and an even smaller increase in the 50 and older drivers (11.2% points).

Figure 10 Aided Recall of National Slogan You Drink & Drive. You Lose. National Sample by Age
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Q21.	Do you recall hearing or seeing the following slogans in the past 30 days?
Base:	National: Before=1,272, After=1,261; 18-34: Before=355, After=348; 35-49: Before=438, After=423; 50 plus: Before=457, After=470

As shown in Figure 10, 55.7% of the younger drivers recalled hearing or seeing the national slogan after the crackdown (pre to post difference was 20.5% points), while 49.2% of the drivers 35-49 years old recalled the slogan (an increase of 11.5% points), and 49.8% of those drivers older than 50 recalled the slogan (an increase of 14.8% points).

Prior to the crackdown, about one-quarter of drivers 18-34 years old reported seeing or hearing about police setting up checkpoints or other enforcement efforts to catch drivers who were driving while under the influence or driving drunk (Figure 11).

Figure 11 Seen or Heard about Police Checkpoints or Other Efforts in Past 30 Days to Catch Drunk Drivers National Sample by Age
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Q19a.	In the past 30 days, have you seen or heard anything about police setting up checkpoints or other enforcement efforts to catch drivers who were driving while under the influence of alcohol or driving drunk?
Base:	National: Before=1,272, After=1,261; 18-34: Before=355, After=348; 35-49: Before=438, After=423; 50 plus: Before=457, After=470

This contrasts with more than a third of older drivers who reported seeing or hearing about the police enforcement efforts. By the end of the program there was no difference among the age groups. The shift was largest for 18-34 year olds (15.7%), next largest for those 35-49 year olds (6.9%), and least for those over 50 (5.0%).

18-34 Year Old Males Show Greater Change than Females
The National Sample was further categorized into 18-34 year old males and females (Figure 12). There were no significant differences between males and females before the crackdown but a significant difference was seen after the crackdown. For example, before the crackdown 6.3% of males and 8.7% of females recalled seeing the national ad, but after the crackdown 43.5% of males and 29.9%of females recalled seeing the ad. Clearly, the media campaign targeting of 18-34 year old males was successful.

Figure 12 Recall Seeing National Ad on TV Recently National Sample
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Q20c.	I’d like to find out if you recall seeing a particular ad on TV recently. It starts with police pulling over drivers, and asking if they had been drinking alcohol. The drivers are then told to step out of the car, and tested to see if they are breaking the drinking and driving laws. The ad ends with the drivers handcuffed, placed in a police car, and shows their mug shots. Do you recall seeing this ad in the past two weeks?
Base:	National: Before=1,272, After-1,261; Males 18-34: Before=160, After=184; Females 18-34: Before=195, After=164