In Australia, there was a recent ad showing the parents of children killed by drunk drivers. The parents were holding photos of their children, and with slow music played throughout, it really struck a chord.

Dan Ariely references some research on this in his book “Predictably Irrational”.

They tested the sexual preferences of young men and found them to be good Samaritans when un-aroused, but as the mind and body got closer to sexual climax the preferences changed dramatically.

Which would mean that you can communicate all you want to calm, rational people, but they do not have the same reference maps when aroused and therefore the communication will have no relevance.

He also references speeding, and that it is not necessarily the speeder that is the problem, but the context he/she is in. They found changing the context changes the need for speed. So don’t tell people not to speed, tell them to avoid certain situations inside the car.

In the context of your story this could mean that although drink driving is stupid and people should stop doing it, they probably never will. But the upstream fact is that most drunk drivers get away with drunk driving with no accident or killing. So what makes you a drunk killer, and what makes you just a drunk driver? Find that, and remove/change the context.

I agree, it is quite cynical, but how can we know that the best effect will come from total prohibition?

incredibly powerful and simple.