Got a safe ride home?
Community Alcohol Action Project (CAAP) aims to reduce drink-driving
The Community Alcohol Action Project (CAAP) has been targeting drink-driving in the Mid Canterbury region since 1993.
More than half of all people killed in car crashes in the Ashburton district are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time, and it is something we can all do our part in helping to reduce.
ACADS health promoters work closely with road safety and community wellbeing agencies each year to deliver a CAAP campaign that promotes sober driving, getting home safely and making responsible choices.
Part of the campaign involves creating and distributing eye-catching resources to venues, such as posters and bar mats, that raise awareness of how people can avoid driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. This could range from organising a ride home with a non-drinking mate in advance; catching a ride with the venue’s courtesy van; and putting money aside for a taxi home that can be called by the bar or restaurant.
Take a look through some of our past campaigns and keep an eye out for our new one every November.
2023 CAMPAIGN There is more to lose than your license.
The ACADS 2023 campaign has been launched as part of a wider National Road Safety Promotion Programme. This year the campaign has been in consultation with Waka Kotahi, local Hato Hone St.John and the Multinational coordinator to drive home a strong message around drinking and driving as the summer season starts across the country.
This year the campaign has a big TV and media focus including video across TVNZ+, cinemas, and YouTube as well as radio and social media campaigns, supported by print, outdoor, in-bar and other digital channels.
2021 - 2022 CAMPAIGN Get Home Safe
Bob is one of the ACADS (Ashburton Community Alcohol and Drug Service working to reduce the harm in the community caused by drugs and alcohol) sober driving mascots.
Bob and his mates never leave each other behind and make sure that everyone gets home safely.
The 2022 campaign was very well received. A picture of his friendly, furry face reminding people to get home safely was seen everywhere throughout the district on big billboards and poker chips at the bar as well as on flyers, posters and social media.
Mascot Bob was also printed on car air fresheners and pens that were distributed to all Warrant of Fitness premises, ACCORD partners and to a wide range of community events throughout Mid Canterbury.
2020 CAMPAIGN Drink Drive = Deadly Cocktail
2019 CAMPAIGN Plan Safe, Home Safe - Think before you drink.
Focus groups helped plan the 2019 campaign after discussions with groups like Young Farmers and ANZCO, plus talking to people attending the A&P Show Safety Village. The 2019 campaign came together. The launch was held at the Buskers Night.
Resources were developed and delivered to Off licences. These were large floor mats with the slogan “Plan Safe Home Safe” printed on them. They were very colourful and they certainly grabbed the attention of patrons. Paper wine bags with the same message were also given to Off licence premises. On licence premises received posters to help remind people to think about the choices they have and to think about the consequences of drink driving.
The team also promoted alcohol-free choices for people and held tastings at local supermarkets. Posting on our CAAP Facebook page also spread the message out to our community.
2018 CAMPAIGN Drink driving is always a BAD choice.
After discussions with other community organisations, it was decided that this campaign should have a rural focus as this is where the majority of alcohol related crashes take place.
The slogan “Drink Driving is always a Bad Choice” was promoted through posters, large bumper stickers on trucks and with one company displaying the campaign logo on the entire back of their truck. Bar mats and bottle bags were given out to premises. Articles were run in local newspapers along with a story in a rural trading society magazine.
2017 CAMPAIGN Get Home Safe with all Your Mates
Get Home Safe with all Your Mates was the slogan chosen by the CAAP planning team to reduce alcohol-related vehicle crashes in the district.
Resources were; posters developed from a photo shoot using local people (and dog), torches, car air fresheners and pens which were used to promote the message. Graphic media advertising was developed and used in the local movie theatre, TV advertising screens in local premises and on our CAAP Facebook page.
2016 CAMPAIGN Plan Safe, Home Safe - Fuel up with food.
Plan Safe, Home Safe and The Big Breakfast Shout. This campaign encouraged employers to shift the focus away from alcohol shouts to food shouts for their end of year functions.
Campaign packs for employers included information about host responsibility and how to run a safe work function along with posters to display in workplaces.
2015 CAMPAIGN Safety First, Driver Sober.
2015 saw the campaign focus on three different areas; Safer Choices, Safer Environments and Safer Communities. A local survey told us that the most common place that those over 18 chose to drink was “at home” followed by at a friends or family house. But, over half of respondents drink at nightclubs, and a third at bars.
Under these target areas, Safer Choices promoted a courtesy van pamphlet, the Good One Party register website and the safe Summer Party pamphlets. Under Safer Environments we supplied resources to licensed premises, posters, bottle bags, and badges for bar staff & bar wobblies.
2014 CAMPAIGN Straight from the horses mouth.
The campaign went rural. Two community events to raise awareness were held in two townships; Rakaia and Hinds. This involved party food samples, mocktail samples and recipes, BBQ and a mock crash demonstration involving the Fire Brigade, St Johns and Police. The Police also had the Booze Bus there for people to look through and be informed about the process of breath testing and legal limits.
Fun games run by Lions and Young Farmers helped the entertainment factor and static displays by ACADS, AA and the District Road Safety Committee helped to inform people about how they could help to reduce alcohol related crashes in our district.
