5 June 2012

Drink and Drive, a call to arms?

| johnboy
Join the conversation
58
drink and drive

Jacqui’s asking questions about the Drink & Drive sign on Barry Drive.

now maybe it’s only me that thinks this but every time i drive past this I think that it is a form of encouragement to ‘drink and drive’.

surely it should be DON’T DRINK & DRIVE, ITS A CRIME

not

DRINK & DRIVE, ITS A CRIME [! go for it..]

On Barry Drive near the Uni heading into town.

Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it in to images@the-riotact.com .

Join the conversation

58
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

I’d just like to share the message for today via the one at Woden:

A GREAT DRIVING CHOICE!

DRINK OR DRIVE!

poetix said :

Once, one a motorbike trip to Queensland, we went past a marked SAFETY RAMP designed to help stop trucks that lose their brakes. On the steep bare dirt ramp I saw an Asian family who had unpacked a picnic lunch with a basket and blanket and thermos and all. I was only pillion, and my husband didn’t notice, so we did not stop to tell them that this was not a good idea. Only later did it occur to me how SAFETY RAMP might have sounded like the ideal, officially designated place to have a picnic. I scanned the paper the next day and there was no story about a flattened family.

In NZ they are called “Runaway Vehicle Ramp”. Much more appropriately named I think! And funnier sounding.

wildturkeycanoe8:40 pm 06 Jun 12

Mav said :

Of all the road safety signs I have seen in my life, and there have been a lot, I think the ones that started in country S.A. get the point across extremely well and from the behaviour of some Canberra drivers they would be well suited to being used here. These are the links to images of the signs:

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6021/5980685893_321082377e_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6148/5981244450_3cd013090c_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7343253656_d81e0f2eb0_b.jpg

I think the last one is my favourite one.

Looking at the first two I couldn’t figure out what is wrong with being a rooster or a door handle. The third one stumped me for a while, “w” hook??

Once, one a motorbike trip to Queensland, we went past a marked SAFETY RAMP designed to help stop trucks that lose their brakes. On the steep bare dirt ramp I saw an Asian family who had unpacked a picnic lunch with a basket and blanket and thermos and all. I was only pillion, and my husband didn’t notice, so we did not stop to tell them that this was not a good idea. Only later did it occur to me how SAFETY RAMP might have sounded like the ideal, officially designated place to have a picnic. I scanned the paper the next day and there was no story about a flattened family.

My favorite is on the Clyde mountain, “FALLING ROCKS DO NOT STOP”……… they do eventually

I-filed said :

This has reminded me to go and revisit the Legend “ghost chips” NZ drink driving ad on Youtube! Still good.

Best ad ever!

PUZZLE TIME!

Evil_Kitten said :

I passed one today near Woden that flashed “Be someone’s hero” and then “Don’t drink and drive”. Strange.

Hero how? Because you drive their drunk ass home and save them a taxi fare? Because they were able to endure a nightclub of drunk idiots while staying sober? That’s about the only heroic scenarios I can think of!

This has reminded me to go and revisit the Legend “ghost chips” NZ drink driving ad on Youtube! Still good.

I passed one today near Woden that flashed “Be someone’s hero” and then “Don’t drink and drive”. Strange.

Hero how? Because you drive their drunk ass home and save them a taxi fare? Because they were able to endure a nightclub of drunk idiots while staying sober? That’s about the only heroic scenarios I can think of!

wildturkeycanoe5:19 pm 06 Jun 12

p1 said :

AgentK said :

I look forward to the day when the signs can promote public transport as an alternative !

Drinking and driving is illegal and dangerous! Drinking and Catching Action Buses is fun!

Yes, but the bus driver can deny you entry if they think you’ve had too much. Then what do you do? Walk?

“Thank You For Not Speeding”. Reminds me of the sign I saw in a shop when I was a kid which said “Thank you for not smoking” and the puffing mum telling her kid “No, that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to smoke, just that they think you shouldn’t”. Things have changed since then.

I like the Speed and Alcohol Dead Ahead signs but I never see a roadside vendor selling any

Holden Caulfield said :

Don’t drink drive.

It’s a laundry detergent.

Excellent…

Or it could be an announcement about the wonders of golf.

Holden Caulfield3:15 pm 06 Jun 12

Don’t drink drive.

It’s a laundry detergent.

I’ve always been fond of the “People Die on ACT Roads” signs, to me it reads as some sort of morbid threat.

I imagine somone in the bushes with a couple of guns, deciding which people will die on ACT roads next!

AgentK said :

I look forward to the day when the signs can promote public transport as an alternative !

Drinking and driving is illegal and dangerous! Drinking and Catching Action Buses is fun!

Dilandach said :

vg said :

Dilandach said :

A little better than that stupid ass sign that’s on parkes way. “Drink and Drive die in a ditch”

Like its been written by a drunk 4 year old.

Unless you’ve attended an accident where a drunk driver died in a ditch after an accident.

“Stupid ass”…..says it all really

Yes, because Canberra roads are often plagued with the car wrecks of drunk drivers falling into the dark abysses on the side of the roads. Oh won’t somebody think of the poor car enthusiasts driving rare white commodores.

The sign as corrected by someone else is “Drink and Drive die in a ditch.” which should really read “If you Drink and Drive and you’ll die in a ditch” but apparently ignoring basic grammar is ‘edgy’. I guess its easier to fingerpaint something to fit on a sign rather than actually put thought into it.

In my rush to post inbetween doing things, I should have read what I wrote. I meant “If you drink and drive, you’ll die in a ditch.”

wildturkeycanoe said :

I have never been able to lane one form, can someone show me how? I also don’t like “Caution slow down pedestrian traffic” at zebra crossing. It takes the retirement village residents long enough to cross already.

lol

At our favourite camping grounds there are signs saying: “Slow children playing”. Always prompts lots of jokes about obese kids and the need to prompt them to run a bit faster.

vg said :

Dilandach said :

A little better than that stupid ass sign that’s on parkes way. “Drink and Drive die in a ditch”

Like its been written by a drunk 4 year old.

Unless you’ve attended an accident where a drunk driver died in a ditch after an accident.

“Stupid ass”…..says it all really

Yes, because Canberra roads are often plagued with the car wrecks of drunk drivers falling into the dark abysses on the side of the roads. Oh won’t somebody think of the poor car enthusiasts driving rare white commodores.

The sign as corrected by someone else is “Drink and Drive die in a ditch.” which should really read “If you Drink and Drive and you’ll die in a ditch” but apparently ignoring basic grammar is ‘edgy’. I guess its easier to fingerpaint something to fit on a sign rather than actually put thought into it.

“Drink and Drive, It’s so Sick” was the original sign idea

Crime is the new “Sick”…

That’s totally crime, dude…

(dude is the the new(old?) ‘bra’)

I look forward to the day when the signs can promote public transport as an alternative !

Of all the road safety signs I have seen in my life, and there have been a lot, I think the ones that started in country S.A. get the point across extremely well and from the behaviour of some Canberra drivers they would be well suited to being used here. These are the links to images of the signs:

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6021/5980685893_321082377e_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6148/5981244450_3cd013090c_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7343253656_d81e0f2eb0_b.jpg

I think the last one is my favourite one.

Dilandach said :

A little better than that stupid ass sign that’s on parkes way. “Drink and Drive die in a ditch”

Like its been written by a drunk 4 year old.

Unless you’ve attended an accident where a drunk driver died in a ditch after an accident.

“Stupid ass”…..says it all really

I loved the signs that said, “Drink or drive.” That’s a terrible instruction!

To anyone who has studied a bit of maths that’s clearly a statement that the only unacceptable option is doing neither. Both drinking and driving would be fine, though.

I wanted to vandalise them by changing them to say, “Drink nand drive,” but luckily I’m not that desperately nerdy…

wildturkeycanoe said :

I have never been able to lane one form, can someone show me how? I also don’t like “Caution slow down pedestrian traffic” at zebra crossing. It takes the retirement village residents long enough to cross already.

im laughing a lot wildturkeycanoe i hadnt thought of caution, slow down pedestrian trafific.. very good.

Captain RAAF10:15 pm 05 Jun 12

p1 said :

Captain RAAF said :

…but drink a beer or two, or in my case 5….

Because the good Cap’t only drinks non alcoholic beer?

No, I only drink rum and the stuff does nothing to me. Its a damn curse I tells ya! A great deal of money and time go into getting drunk and I just cant pull it off. After maybe 15 rums I start to get a little light headed, could still drive but would probably be close to the limit. 8 is my PB and beating the RBT. =-)

wildturkeycanoe7:02 pm 05 Jun 12

I have never been able to lane one form, can someone show me how? I also don’t like “Caution slow down pedestrian traffic” at zebra crossing. It takes the retirement village residents long enough to cross already.

oops what do they do with the right i meant. shoulder.

also, on Holden Caulfield –

Federal Project is pretty racist have to say – both in terminology and ambiguity – spot what on what?

Dear Holden Caulfield

I see your “DRINK & DRIVE, ITS A CRIME [! go for it..]” and raise you with a: “Federally funded black spot project

hmm – how about “cyclists use left shoulder” that has always made me laugh. What do they do with the left? And how difficult it makes it to ride a bike..

Captain RAAF said :

?

But its not a crime to drink and drive!

Drive whilst over .05 sure that’s a crime, but drink a beer or two, or in my case 5, and drive and its not a crime if you are still under the limit.

I really hope you’re being sarcastic…

Captain RAAF said :

…but drink a beer or two, or in my case 5….

Because the good Cap’t only drinks non alcoholic beer?

Captain RAAF3:51 pm 05 Jun 12

?

But its not a crime to drink and drive!

Drive whilst over .05 sure that’s a crime, but drink a beer or two, or in my case 5, and drive and its not a crime if you are still under the limit.

Deref said :

If they used gerunds it’d lose the ambiguity.

Shooting people seems a bit extreme…but unambiguous, yes. I like your thinking.

If they used gerunds it’d lose the ambiguity.

I was in Canada last month where i saw a sign “Drink Canada Dry”. I gave it a good shot for 2-3 weeks before I realised that Canada Dry is a form of dry ginger ale.

Now i’m working on the clothing brand that has the slogan
“Roots Canada” and their plumbing service http://www.mrrooter.com/

Mysteryman said :

Primal said :

And why does the slogan at the bottom need quote marks?

As a former graphic designer, that irritates the living daylights out of me. I HATED when people would request that I put quotation marks around their already hopeless slogan, moto, or catch phrase. I would ask them if they’ve ever seen a Coke, Toyota, Nike, McDonalds, Tag Heuer, or Apple ad with quotation marks around the slogan, and their response was inevitably “it needs quotation marks”. Stupid.

Haha, would have loved to see Maccas with “I’m lovin’ it” in quotes, as if it had actually come from one of their billions of customers!

Primal said :

And why does the slogan at the bottom need quote marks?

As a former graphic designer, that irritates the living daylights out of me. I HATED when people would request that I put quotation marks around their already hopeless slogan, moto, or catch phrase. I would ask them if they’ve ever seen a Coke, Toyota, Nike, McDonalds, Tag Heuer, or Apple ad with quotation marks around the slogan, and their response was inevitably “it needs quotation marks”. Stupid.

No wonder why there as so many drink drivers in Canberra!

They have been challenged.

Now I’m wasting time thinking of road safety messages vaguely in the style of Canturf.

Lay down rubber…for more black marks

Help me..

pikiran_keruh11:58 am 05 Jun 12

Punctuation: The difference between knowing your s*** and knowing you’re s***

They’re just drumming up business. Commit a crime; keep your local police officer busy. Or should that be: COPS R TOPS..SCULL DON’T STOP

DRV N TEXT U B NEXT is my favourite too; the desperate attempt to be cool, like a parent trying to ‘keep up’ with their kids. Tragic.

In Victoria they have signs that read something like “Slowing down never killed anyone”.

On the contrary, slowing down extremely quickly is the cause of many road deaths. Stupid Victorian Government.

nsn said :

It’s not just you, Jacqui. I’ve thought the same thing. But at least this sign vaguely makes sense. Unlike some of the others in the series:
– “Alcohol and Speed Dead Ahead” – what does that even mean? Although it did give rise to some excellent, if short-lived, graffiti: two tombstones with ‘Alcohol’ and ‘Speed’
– “Drink Drive, Die in a Ditch” – I think I understand the message, but “die in a ditch”? Huh?
– “Thank You For Not Speeding” – with the “Not” in red, for some reason
– and the favourite “Drive N Text U B Next” – even in txtspk, that makes no sense at all.

By the way, Johnboy, I think you mean a call to action, not a call to arms.

I remember studying positive reinforcement with regards to traffic signs during my Psych degree. Apparently there is a noticeable increase in compliance with speeding signs when they ‘Thank you for not speeding’, rather than ‘don’t speed or else!’

There’s a whole science behind the way they’re written, coloured and layed out.

Holden Caulfield11:27 am 05 Jun 12

I see your “DRINK & DRIVE, ITS A CRIME [! go for it..]” and raise you with a:

“Federally funded black spot project”

I don’t like the speed and alcohol dead ahead sign, it gets my hopes up, then I end up dissapointed.

Dilandach said :

A little better than that stupid ass sign that’s on parkes way. “Drink and Drive die in a ditch”

Like its been written by a drunk 4 year old.

Somebody told me they WERE all written by schoolchildren as part of an educational initiative to produce memorable slogans? Let’s face it…it worked.

And why does the slogan at the bottom need quote marks?

Mr Gillespie11:14 am 05 Jun 12

Keijidosha said :

This sign isn’t nearly as confounding as “DRV N TXT, U B NEXT”. You be next what?

Anyone who “txts” writing like that not only cnt spk ngrsh prply, they also sound like a 5-year-old who is only just learning to write. Do that while driving, and you really, really are asking for trouble!!

actually i think regarding tailgate-ing – i think it is ‘DONT TAILGATE KANGAROOS 2 KM AHEAD but id have to verify. A little bit more plausible then, the alternative reading.

jdazzle said :

regarding ‘DRV N TXT, U B NEXT’ i always think ‘DRV N TEXT, CB NEXT’ ie that texting is soon to be over-taken by the more modern CB radio…it’s a technology advertisment courtesy of the Govt. laughing. again. oh no.

I just start humming UB40.

Man: Uh, sir, you can’t operate a boat under the influence of alcohol.
Homer Simpson: Oh, that sounds like a wager to me!

regarding ‘DRV N TXT, U B NEXT’ i always think ‘DRV N TEXT, CB NEXT’ ie that texting is soon to be over-taken by the more modern CB radio…it’s a technology advertisment courtesy of the Govt. laughing. again. oh no.

i think the funniest one that is apparently across the border says”dont tailgate kangaroos ahead’ which can be read as ‘dont tailgate kangaroos, ahead’. ha ha ha. im laughing. thanks to papa for that one.

It’s not just you, Jacqui. I’ve thought the same thing. But at least this sign vaguely makes sense. Unlike some of the others in the series:
– “Alcohol and Speed Dead Ahead” – what does that even mean? Although it did give rise to some excellent, if short-lived, graffiti: two tombstones with ‘Alcohol’ and ‘Speed’
– “Drink Drive, Die in a Ditch” – I think I understand the message, but “die in a ditch”? Huh?
– “Thank You For Not Speeding” – with the “Not” in red, for some reason
– and the favourite “Drive N Text U B Next” – even in txtspk, that makes no sense at all.

By the way, Johnboy, I think you mean a call to action, not a call to arms.

CrocodileGandhi10:54 am 05 Jun 12

I also enjoy ‘DRIVE AND TEXT, U B NEXT’. Always good when the Government is getting down with the kids.

A little better than that stupid ass sign that’s on parkes way. “Drink and Drive die in a ditch”

Like its been written by a drunk 4 year old.

This sign isn’t nearly as confounding as “DRV N TXT, U B NEXT”. You be next what?

Most of those road safety signs can be taken to have the opposite or a different meaning.

I do find it funny when visitors from interstate see some of them for the first time, particularly the drive n text you be next one

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.