Related Experiment Videos
Evaluation of a local designated driver and responsible server program to prevent drinking and driving
B G Simons-Morton1, S S Cummings
1National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Journal of Drug Education
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Server training improved perceptions of preventing drunk driving. However, a designated driver program in Houston showed limited patron participation and voucher use, indicating a need for enhanced strategies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Point of purchase interventions by alcohol servers are a promising strategy for preventing drinking and driving.
- Community support for designated driver and responsible server programs is growing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a designated driver and responsible server program in Houston.
- To assess server training effectiveness and patron engagement with safe ride initiatives.
Main Methods:
- Server training courses were assessed.
- Servers and patrons were observed and interviewed in five participating establishments.
- Distribution of safe ride home vouchers was reviewed.
- An experiment involving server announcements of the program was conducted in one establishment.
Main Results:
- Server training significantly improved participants' perceptions of their role in preventing drunk driving.
- Server participation in wearing program buttons increased from 15.6% to 26.6% after retraining.
- Only 6.6% of eligible patrons participated in the designated driver program.
- An average of 0.7 safe ride home vouchers were provided per establishment monthly.
- Server announcements of the program did not increase designated driver prevalence.
Conclusions:
- Server training positively impacts server attitudes towards preventing drunk driving.
- The studied designated driver program had limited success in patron engagement and safe ride utilization.
- Further research and enhanced strategies are needed to improve the effectiveness of such programs.