Go ahead, have that beer while you celebrate Labor Day weekend — just don’t get behind the wheel if you do.
That’s the message the Colorado Department of Transportation is trying to spread in the days leading up to Labor Day, scrapping the old “don’t drink and drive” message for one that accepts the reality of holiday-weekend imbibing.“This year we wanted to take an approach that was a little more realistic,” said Emily Wilfong, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation. “We understand that people drink and that’s not the action we are trying to stop. What we are trying to affect is whether they make the decision to drive afterwards.”
Wilfong said CDOT doesn’t know of any other states that have taken the “Drink, Don’t Drive,” approach, but she said other countries, including New Zealand and Canada, have launched similar campaigns with humorous messages that are a bit easier for people to relate to.
CDOT first launched it’s “Heat is On” anti-drunk driving campaign in 1996 and in the decade plus since, it has focused on warning drivers about the dangers of drunk driving, as well as the likelihood that they will be arrested and face hefty fines and legal bills.
“First and foremost, The Heat Is On has been about preventing impaired driving,” Amy Ford, Director of Communications at CDOT, said in a statement. “Our new campaign tagline allows us to maintain our focus while showing that we understand people are going to consume alcohol, and that is fine as long as they do it responsibly and don’t drive.”
The campaign is targeted at men between the ages of 21 and 24, a group that has shown a higher likelihood for driving drunk and a higher likelihood of being killed in DUI-related crashes. Last year, there were 190 fatal DUI crashes in Colorado and 36 percent of those killed were men between 21 and 24.
“It’s a group of individuals that tend to be more of a risk taker,” Wilfong said.
To reach those people, this year’s campaign includes standard advertising on buses and billboards, as well as some unique ads. Those include coasters and posters in area bars, as well as the Interactive Urinal Communicator. The devices in the bottom of bar urinals feature a 15-second audio message encouraging men not to drive and instead look to other alternatives, such as public transit or a cab.
Wilfong said CDOT has advertised in bars before, but this year with the focus on males in their 20s and early 30s that method is particularly helpful.
In addition to the campaign, extra police will be on the street throughout the weekend looking for drunk drivers.
Aurora police Lt. Jeff Turner, who oversees the department’s traffic section, said APD will have a DUI checkpoint Aug. 30 and saturation patrols Aug. 31.
“We will have lots of folks out, making lots of arrests this weekend,” he said.