Anti Drink-Drive Poster and Message

M.A.G. Ireland very strongly disapproves of and actively discourages the practice of driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs whose use while driving has been proven to be unsafe.  We encourage all motorcyclists to heed this message.  If your company would like to sponsor the availability of this poster on this web site, contact the MAG office.

MAG Ireland realises that this poster will strike some people as politically incorrect and might cause offence to people who object to images of this sort.

MAG Ireland is not offended - but appalled - at the very high level of single vehicle accidents involving motorcycles experienced in Ireland. Almost half of all fatal bike accidents in the 90’s did not involve a car or other vehicle. Think about this. These twenty or thirty young men per year (and it’s almost all young men) came to a sudden death because they were unable to control their motorcycles, for some reason.

Unlike others, MAG is prepared to do something about it. We have launched a nationwide and internationally copied safety booklet aimed at promoting safer riding practices and we have started the first nationwide instructor training program.

These are very significant contributions to Irish road safet.  But we can do more.  Anyone studying the situation suspects that alcohol is the root cause of many of these mysterious single vehicle accidents among young men. A precisely targeted approach to complement the blanket methods above was called for, and a poster aimed at young men became an integral part of our strategy.

In creating the poster, MAG looked at many alternatives from other countries and other areas. Shock tactic images were dismissed as they are always interpreted as anti-bike. Humour was a strong contender but clashed with the seriousness of the message.

 
Of course the poster does play on stereotypes of adolescent hormonal males on motorcycles.  But, the truth is that these are precisely the people we need to reach.  Even if all we cared about was our collective self image as motorcyclists, that image is hurt far more by twenty needlessly killed young men per annum than vague accusations of sexist behaviour.  This is the year 2000 and the picture would not be out of place on the cover of a magazine for women.  Indeed the far more objectionable portrayals of women displayed on the covers of some mainstream motorcycle magazines do much more damage to the image of biking and do so only for raising sales figures - not saving lives.

We do apologise to women for any perceived offense.  But, as you will understand, we are risking your disapproval for a serious purpose and not in a gratuitous fashion.  It’s notable that young women seem to have much more sense when it comes to drink riding than young men and we reckon the same will apply to the poster.  Women will see it for what it is, while some men will take a good look at it and then start spouting on about how politically incorrect it is.  At the very least they’ll remember the message though.  MOTORCYCLES AND ALCOHOL DON'T MIX.

Please note that the poster is neither advertising MAG, nor aimed at MAG members.  If it was,  the imagery would be very different. Young men riding bikes while under the influence of alcohol are a different target audience.  We hope that appealing to their most basic instincts will get their attention and reduce the annual tragedy of drink-riding fatalities.