7 Nov 2014

Would you be ashamed of a drink-driving conviction?

Attitudes have been transformed in the 50 years since the first drink-driving advert. But young people are still much less likely to be embarrassed by being caught drink-driving.

50 years ago today, the first drink-drive public information film was aired.

Shot in black and white, and with upbeat background organ music, it offers what is by modern standards a remarkably easy-going message to people who are considering drinking and driving.

Fifteen years later, in 1979, a full-colour advert actually shows a collision between two cars and uses hard-hitting language like “stupid git”.

The message from the 1990 campaign is more subtle and allusive. It features a tearful young boy, while the voiceover asks “How am I supposed to explain that you killed a little boy?”

But the most powerful video, from 2004, gives a graphic simulation of what happens to car passengers when a head-on collision occurs.

All the films discussed are shown in the video above

Changing attitudes

A survey by the THINK! Don’t Drink Drive campaign, to coincide with the anniversary, shows how much social attitudes have changed since 1964.

It says 92 per cent of people feel ashamed to drink and drive, and 91 per cent believe is is completely unacceptable – despite the fact that, in 2012, there were 230 road deaths linked to drink-driving.

The fact that nearly a quarter of those questioned would rather tell their partner they have had a sexually transmitted infection than admit to a drink-drive conviction shows the extent to which the practice has become stigmatised.

But there is also a big disparity in attitudes, depending on the age group. Nearly all over-65s said they would feel ashamed to be caught drink-driving – but among 18-24-year-olds that drops to just one in five.