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In 1997 there were an estimated 540 deaths and over 16,000 injuries involving illegal blood alcohol levels. Around half of the casualties were to people other than the drinking drivers themselves. There were probably an additional 250 people killed in accidents involving drivers and riders with raised blood alcohol levels but still below the current legal limit. Around one in five road deaths are alcohol related. The first drink drive campaign was launched in 1967 and was set up to introduce breath testing. The slogan "Drinking and driving wrecks lives" was used to help people become aware of the dangers. Since then there have been variations on the same theme, including in 1992 a television advert that could only be broadcast after the 9pm watershed, showing a girl lying on the pavement covered with blood. The publicity campaign is believed to have been effective. It is difficult to isolate the effect of publicity from the other measures introduced over the same period such as tougher laws and higher levels of enforcement.
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