Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs increases the risk of usage behaviors on the roads. The challenge lies not just in decreasing this behavior but also in communicating about it effectively. Communication efforts about this topic might backfire. The Werther effect is an example of such undesired results, suggesting that news coverage of unwanted behavior might spark an interest in others, causing them to copy the behavior. This is, of course, the opposite of what we’re trying to achieve.

As part of the broader National Road Safety Action Plan 2022–2025, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management aims to reduce and prevent instances of substance abuse. As part of this plan, Behavioral Designers set out to develop a communication approach to preventing substance abuse in traffic.