New York, New York (December 23, 2024) – The Ad Council, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), today announced the 21st annual Project Roadblock initiative. Local broadcast TV stations across the country will donate advertising time to air anti-drunk driving PSAs reminding viewers to make safe choices this holiday season.
The latest available data from NHTSA shows that there is still work to be done in reducing drunk driving fatalities. Every day, 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes, which is roughly equivalent to one person every 39 minutes. Every alcohol-impaired driving death is preventable.
Since its inception in 2004, Project Roadblock has mobilized thousands of local broadcast TV stations to air PSAs during the six-day period between December 26 and 31, with a special emphasis at 10 p.m. local time on New Year’s Eve. Project Roadblock’s flight runs during one of the deadliest times of year to be on the road.
Last year’s Project Roadblock reached 99.99% of all US TV households. The 2023 campaign garnered 60.4k detections on local broadcast TV stations valued at an estimated $3.8 million. Since Project Roadblock's inaugural year in 2004, TV stations across the nation have donated over $194 million in media value to promote safe driving, amounting to 8 billion total impressions.
“Local broadcast TV has the power to reach people and save lives. Throughout our 21 years working with Ad Council and NHTSA, we’ve been honored to unite to help create stronger, safer communities,” said Steve Lanzano, president and CEO at TVB. “Every station that signs up, every PSA that runs, could save a life.”
“We’re incredibly grateful to our partners and local TV stations who continue to support this crucial initiative year after year,” said DJ Perera, chief media officer at the Ad Council. “For 21 years, Project Roadblock has demonstrated the power of local media to drive meaningful change, and we’re looking forward to another successful year.”
The PSAs, which air in both English and Spanish, reinforce the message that “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving,” and underscore the danger of driving after drinking. TV stations can register and download the PSAs from the Project Roadblock campaign page. Extreme Reach, a longtime partner of Project Roadblock, will again donate all PSA distribution and delivery services.
For more information about Project Roadblock, visit TVB.org/ProjectRoadblock, and follow the campaign online using the hashtag #ProjectRoadblock on Facebook and X.
About the Ad Council
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change around the most pressing issues in America. Since the non-profit’s founding, the organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, gun safety, the opioid epidemic, skill-based hiring and other critical issues, the Ad Council’s national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, and employer programs, among other innovative strategies to move the needle on the most important issues of the day.
To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council's communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.
About NHTSA
For more than 50 years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has served as the key federal agency charged with improving safety on our nation’s roadways. As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA is working to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries by promoting the use of seat belts and child safety seats; helping states and local communities address the threat of distracted, drunk and drug-impaired drivers; regulating vehicle safety standards and investigating safety defects in motor vehicles; establishing and enforcing fuel economy standards; conducting research on driver behavior and traffic safety; and providing consumer information on issues ranging from child passenger safety to impaired driving. For more information visit www.nhtsa.gov.
About TVB
TVB is the not-for-profit trade association representing America’s local broadcast television industry, including linear and digital platforms. Its members include the U.S. television stations, television broadcast groups, advertising sales reps, syndicators, international broadcasters and associate members. TVB actively promotes local media marketing solutions to the advertising community and works to develop advertising dollars for the medium’s multiple platforms, including on-air, online and mobile. TVB provides a diverse variety of tools and resources, including its website, to support its members and to help advertisers make the best use of local ad dollars.