A new Partnership for a Drug Free Canada (PDFC) campaign, developed by BBDO Toronto and armed with statistics, aims to open parents’ eyes to the fact that the problem of driving high isn’t about “other people’s kids.”
According to the organization, a substantial percentage of teens – and parents – don’t consider driving while high on drugs to be as risky as drunk driving. A new study commissioned by the group shows that 32% of teens don’t think driving while high on cannabis is as bad as drinking and driving.
The campaign also says lots of parents have their heads stuck in the sand when it comes to their kids’ driving behaviour. They assume problems with teens driving high stem from other people’s kids, not their own. But campaign research shows 40% of teens have admitted to being a passenger in a car with a high driver.
The national multimedia campaign aims to foster dialogue between parents and teens about the risks of driving while high or being driven by someone who is. It runs until the fall with TV, radio, print and digital components.
Marc Paris, executive director of PDFC, said in a release that 10% of teens think smoking cannabis improves their driving because it focuses their attention. “People don’t realize that impaired is impaired, no matter what substance you took before taking the car keys,” said Paris.
Driving while high can cause risks related to impaired depth perception, delayed reaction time and reduced concentration, said Paris.
According to a 2011 study by Beasly and Beirness, drivers between 16 and 24 cause most driver fatality cases in Canada. Those fatalities are divided equally between drivers who’ve been drinking (27.6%) and those that test positive for drugs (26.9%).
Paris told Marketing that the PDFC’s campaigns rely solely on PSA support from its 40-plus media partners. “To date, we are averaging $1.2 million per month in free time and space,” he said, adding that OMD has been helping with trafficking and delivery.
