1. Report No.

DOT HS 809 869

2. Government Accession No.

3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Montana’s MOST of Us Don’t Drink and Drive Campaign

A Social Norms Strategy to Reduce Impaired Driving Among 21-34-Year-Olds

5. Report Date

September 2005

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s)
Jeff Linkenbach, Ed.D., H. Wesley Perkins, Ph.D.

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Montana Social Norms Project
Montana State University
P.O. Box 170520
Bozeman, MT 59717-0520

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTNH22-01-H-25156

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20590

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Final Report

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplementary Notes

Ruth Esteban-Muir was the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative for this project.

16. Abstract

This report presents the results of a demonstration project to test the efficacy of a high-intensity social norms media intervention to reduce the prevalence of driving after drinking among 21 to 34-year-olds living in western Montana. A baseline survey was conducted to collect self-reported data on the target population’s behavior with respect to impaired driving, as well as on their perceptions of the behavior of their peers. Normative messages and media were developed from these data. Each survey gathered information on respondents’ exposure to the campaign message, and on their perceptions and reported behaviors regarding driving after drinking. The campaign successfully reduced the target population’s misperceptions of the frequency of impaired driving among their peers. The change in perceptions was associated with a change in reported behavior. In the target area there was a 13.7-percent relative decrease in the percentage that reported driving after drinking and a 15-percent relative increase in the percentage that reported always using non-drinking designated drivers. A high-intensity paid media social norms intervention can be successful on astatewide scale, across a wide variety of measures including perceptions, reported behaviors, attitudes, and support for policy. However, additional research is warranted to corroberate the self-reported behaviors with changes in the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of arrested drivers or numbers of alcohol-related fatalities.

17. Key Words

Social norms, young adults, impaired driving

18. Distribution Statement

19. Security Classif. (Of this report)
Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (Of this page)

21. No. of Pages
51

22. Price