Diageo North America Launches New Online Experience and Tool to Encourage People in Montana to Avoid Impaired Driving
September 02 2021 - 11:00AM
Business Wire
In Montana, 36% of road traffic deaths are
caused by alcohol impaired driving. National average is 28%1
With more than one-third of driving fatalities
involving a drunk driver during the Labor Day holiday2, Diageo
North America is taking action to tackle the problem with new
educational resources showing the consequences
Ahead of the Labor Day holiday, Diageo North America launches a
new online experience and tool in the United States to change
attitudes among 21–35-year-olds around the decision to drive
impaired by substances. Developed in partnership with the United
Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Wrong Side
of the Road is a virtual learning experience that starkly
conveys to users the effects of alcohol and driving, as well as the
stigma and consequences that result from making the decision to
drive while impaired.
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Wrong Side of the Road presents a series of videos where
three impaired drivers share their impactful real-life stories –
including someone who crashed on his way to work the morning after
a night of drinking, an individual who drove impaired in an effort
to look for his brother who he believed to be in trouble, and a
father who crashed into a wall driving to a high school football
game. The interactive tool allows participants to ask the real
impaired drivers increasingly raw questions about their decisions
and consequences such as “Did you feel pressure to drive?”, “What
was going through your head?” and “How did your family react?”
through what feels like a live conversation, but are, in fact,
pre-recorded responses. At the end of the experience, participants
are shown a summary of learnings and directed to other online
resources that can offer additional information and support.
“I know first-hand the harm of impaired driving and the ripple
effects even one bad event can have on many, many people. It’s very
hard to face the fact that you drive impaired,” said David
Whitesock, who is featured in one of the stories included in the
tool. “What’s incredible about this project is that you can ask
questions you wouldn’t dare ask anyone, but do it privately and get
real, personal responses back. Diageo’s tool will help reach people
at scale to make better, more informed decisions; decisions that
will ensure that people stay home or get home safely.”
“We believe that a single crash caused by impaired driving is
one too many. As a leading beverage alcohol company, it is our
responsibility to create prevention tools to help save lives,” said
Ana Fitzgibbons, Director, Diageo in Society. “With this new
anti-impaired driving experience and program, we continue to invest
and innovate in our approach to further educate people and create
awareness, while stigmatizing the irresponsible behavior. This
initiative is a component of Diageo’s global effort to change the
attitudes of five million people by 2030 when they think about
drinking and driving.”
North America is the company’s second market to roll out the
tool, after Diageo launched it in the United Kingdom in May 2021.
Diageo plans to expand the tool’s roll out to additional markets
including Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain, South Africa, India,
Nigeria, Mexico, Colombia and Dominican Republic over the next 12
months, with users in each market able to select from a series of
real impaired driver incidents based in their own country or
region, in their local language. Diageo North America is also
exploring partnerships with various organizations to expand the
reach of the learning experience.
“The consequences of impaired driving are far-reaching and all
too often extend well beyond ramifications for the offender. Early
estimates indicate impaired driving fatalities have increased
sharply in the past year due to many factors – mental health
concerns, a false sense of security due to less populated roads,
speeding, and impaired driving. As Labor Day weekend approaches, we
remind Americans to not only engage with Diageo’s new program, but
to drink responsibly, plan ahead for a safe ride home if they
choose to drink, and to never drive impaired. Not only could you
ruin your own life, but you could also take the lives of others,”
said Chris Swonger, president and CEO, Distilled Spirits Council of
the United States and Responsibility.org.
Diageo has a long-standing commitment to promote responsible
drinking through moderation and addressing the harmful use of
alcohol. The company has a history of supporting global initiatives
aimed at reducing traffic deaths and improving road safety. In
North America, Diageo has funded safe rides, designated drivers and
free transportation; supported the enforcement and development of
impaired driving laws; and introduced a virtual reality experience
that put consumers virtually in a fatal drunk driving crash to
educate on the importance of responsible decision-making when
drinking.
The Wrong Side of the Road can be accessed at
https://drinkdriving.drinkiq.com/ and is Diageo North
America’s latest responsible drinking initiative and part of an
evolving approach that promotes changes in attitudes as a way of
tackling impaired driving and supports the company’s 10-year
sustainability action plan, Society 2030: Spirit of Progress.
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an
outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown
Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel
One vodkas, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas, Captain
Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO)
and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and our products are sold
in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information
about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at
www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking
resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways
to share best practice. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for news
and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.
1 Source: 2019, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) 2 Data from the 2019 Labor Day holiday period. Source:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
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Luis Carlos Rabago Luis.Rabago@diageo.com (203) 690-0860
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