Drunk driving is one of the leading causes of road fatalities in Quebec (Canada), resulting in more than 60,000 victims every year. The Quebec government needed to encourage adult drivers to opt for public transportation after consuming alcohol in bars to avoid road fatalities.

The Safety Coaster is the first coaster with an integrated chip that lets drunk drivers take a bus ride for free and get home safely.

The biggest barrier to taking public transportation is the effort required to find and buy a transit pass if this hasn’t been planned in advance. The strategy was therefore to provide a solution directly at the moment of consumption while raising awareness of the importance of not driving under the influence of alcohol.The call to action was: Take the bus instead of your car with this coaster. The target audience was adult drivers who drink alcohol in bars.

Two hundred Safety Coasters were distributed in a bar during Quebec’s National Day celebrations (June of 2023). Each Safety Coaster was preloaded with a one-way bus fare (valid with the Lévis transit agency) and, once activated, had no time limit for use. On top of handing out the coasters in a central bar, a video explaining the idea behind the Safety Coaster was simultaneously launched on the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec’s social networks. We also developed a public relations strategy to promote the idea among our target audience.

The Safety Coaster gained widespread attention, with the entire batch being swiftly distributed. Of the 200 coasters handed out, 187 (93%) were used to take the bus. Two other public transit agencies will introduce the coaster this summer. Over 99% of consumers responded positively to the Safety Coaster, and most importantly, the Safety Coaster is a new solution to save lives on the road.