Effectiveness of a Drinking and Driving Campaign on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Among Drivers in Addis Ababa

Abstract

Background: In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, road traffic crashes represent a major public health challenge. Driving under the influence of alcohol (drink driving) is a risk factor for road traffic crashes. Mass media campaigns can reduce the prevalence of drink driving. Few studies to date have evaluated the influence of anti-drink-driving campaigns on changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in low-income countries such as Ethiopia.Objective: This study aims to examine the impact of an anti-drink-driving campaign on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors around drinking and driving in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Methods: The “Never Drink and Drive” campaign ran on media outlets in Addis Ababa and consisted of evidence-informed messages on the consequences of drink driving. Data for this study comes from two representative household surveys conducted among a sample of adult drivers aged 18–55 years in Addis Ababa pre-campaign (n = 721) and post-campaign (n = 721). Multivariate logistic regression is used to estimate the effects of the campaign on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to drink driving.Results: After the campaign, participants were significantly more likely to have improved knowledge and attitudes about drink driving: post-campaign participants were significantly more likely to report feeling unsafe about drink driving (OR = 1.51, p < 0.05). Social norms showed a positive shift: post-campaign participants were over six and a half times more likely to report that someone talked to them about drink driving (OR = 6.52, p < 0.05). After the campaign, participants demonstrated improved knowledge and attitudes around drink driving laws and enforcement, including that they were significantly more likely to agree that they would be caught by police for drink driving (OR = 12.66, p < 0.1). Behavior also improved—post-campaign participants reported significantly lower rates of driving soon after drinking alcohol, compared with pre-campaign participants (31 vs. 42%).Conclusion: The anti-drink-driving campaign achieved gains in knowledge, improved attitudes, and reduced drinking and driving, which could help to curb road traffic crashes in Addis Ababa. This study offers some of the first evidence that an anti-drink-driving campaign, combined with enhanced enforcement of road safety laws, can be effective in changing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors around drink driving in low-income countries.

Alcohol and Road Accidents Involving Pedestrians as Unprotected Road Users

“…Delays in detecting and providing care for those involved in a road traffic crash increase the severity of injuries. Intensive prevention programs ought to be implemented in these areas so that the safety of pedestrians can be improved [20,[35][36][37][38][39]. This requires involvement from multiple sectors, such as police, health, education, transport, and actions that address the safety of roads, vehicles, and road users [40].…”

Are Traffic Announcements Really Effective? A Systematic Review of Evaluations of Crash-Prevention Communication Campaigns

“…Great variability was found in the methodology employed in the selected articles, making use of both observational (e.g., [39,48]) and experimental methods (e.g., [43]), as well as cross-sectional (e.g., [46]) and longitudinal ones (e.g., [40]).…”

“…About one-third of the campaigns had among their objectives or as their main objective the reduction of drinking and driving (n = 10), concluding that it was effective in reducing this risky behavior, although not to the same extent in all cases. Coincidentally, the most recent campaigns were the ones that obtained the best results (e.g., [39,46]), while those with reduced effects were mostly carried out in the 1990s (e.g., [61,64]). Some advertisements were aimed at the use of passive prevention measures, such as helmets, seat belts and child restraint systems (n = 2).…”

“…Focusing on the evaluation of traffic and road safety advertising campaigns, the selected articles show considerable variability in the degree of effectiveness of the analyzed campaigns. In some cases, significant changes in relevant behaviors and/or attitudes are observed after exposure to the communication campaign (e.g., [39,42]). However, other research finds no positive effects of traffic ads (e.g., [64]), or very slight ones (e.g., [49]).…”

What Affects the Perception of a Drunk Driving Campaign?

“…Starting from road traffic crashes representing a major challenge to public health and that driving under the influence of alcohol is a risk factor that contributes to the occurrence of road traffic crashes, Negi et al conducted a study to investigate the impact of the anti-drunk-driving campaign (“Never Drink and Drive”) on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about driving under the influence of alcohol in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia ( 28 ). The authors employed two questionnaires to measure the effectiveness of the conducted campaign.…”