Breathalyzer Campaign Wins PRSA Western District Best in the West

CDOT’s “Blown Away–Preventing DUIs, One Breathalyzer at a Time” campaign recently won the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Western District Best in the West award. This prestigious award recognizes impactful work carried out from PRSA’s 11 chapters throughout five western states and represents more than 2,200 PRSA members. This breathalyzer campaign — an extension of CDOT’s The Heat Is On high-visibility enforcement campaign — was also the Grand Gold Pick winner from PRSA Colorado’s 2019 annual awards ceremony.

Each year in Colorado, more than 20,000 people are arrested for DUI—an average of 50 every day. To help combat this critical issue, in 2019 CDOT continued its partnership with leading breathalyzer company, BACtrack, to encourage the use of mobile breathalyzers by offering the devices at a 50 percent discount for Colorado residents. The goal was to raise awareness of this unique promotion and educate residents about the benefits of personal breathalyzers as a tool to prevent impaired driving.

Using the campaign creative, earned media tactics and public engagement activations, the campaign successfully drove awareness and sales of breathalyzers – 1,408 breathalyzers sold to be exact. The 245 people who agreed to participate were surveyed after purchasing a breathalyzer. The survey revealed that using a breathalyzer positively impacted driving decisions and provided education not only to the user but also to their family and friends.

In addition to raising awareness about the effectiveness of breathalyzers as a tool for curbing drunk driving, CDOT was able to reach a high volume of alcohol consumers and gather meaningful data about breathalyzer use. Research from CDOT’s partners at BACtrack also showed promising trends toward changing Coloradans’ behavior when it comes to impaired driving. The campaign’s highlight was its hands-on approach to collecting data while also educating the community about safe driving.