NHTSA ads take aim at South Carolina teen drinking and driving

A new series of ads produced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council takes aim at underage drinking and driving as “the ultimate party foul.” The ads, which were rolled out for National Teen Driver Safety Awareness Week, are targeted directly to teens in South Carolina and elsewhere, employing a touch of humor to convey the serious underlying message. The interactive multimedia ads were designed by Merkley+Partners, and an associated app was developed by Swyft Media.

The campaign, whose homepage is ultimatepartyfoul.org, takes aim at drunk driving accident prevention by offering teens excuses they can use to avoid getting into a vehicle with an intoxicated driver, pointing out the difference between common “party fouls” and the potentially tragic consequences of drinking and driving. NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said the intent of the campaign, which follows in the footsteps of other iconic ads such as “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk,” was to raise awareness among teenagers that “drinking and driving is one of the worst mistakes they can ever make.”

Motor accidents are the leading cause of teen death in America, and half of all fatalities in teen-related traffic accidents are the drivers. Nearly one-quarter of all teen fatality accidents can be directly related to alcohol use prior to driving, although every state’s minimum legal drinking age is 21.

An attorney pursuing a case caused by a drunk driver may begin by assessing how and why the accident happened, including whether the driver had consumed alcohol or drugs and what road and weather conditions might have contributed to the accident. The attorney might then pursue collection actions for appropriate compensation for the client or the deceased person’s family. In some cases, the attorney may have to proceed to open court before the case is settled.