Ad Council and NHTSA Tackle Myths Fuelling Cannabis-Impaired Driving

The Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have launched a new wave of public service advertising taking aim at one of the most menacing misconceptions around cannabis use. That is, the belief that consumption makes people ‘safer’ or ‘more focused’ behind the wheel.

The latest chapter of the ‘Drug-Impaired Driving Prevention' campaign is a sharpened effort to reach men ages 18-34, who are most likely to drive high. The creative platform, ‘Tell That to Them’, developed pro bono by agency Standard Practice and produced by Spark & Riot, pushes back on the familiar self-talk some drivers use to justify operating a vehicle after marijuana use.

The central spot brings together the casual claims and pseudo-logic shared widely among younger male drivers – that amount to justifications – before abruptly undercutting them with the real-world consequences of delayed reaction times and impaired judgement. It ends on the campaign’s anchor message, ‘If you feel different, you drive different’.

Michelle Hillman, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council, says the challenge lies in confronting a belief system that feels entrenched.
“Our research shows some young men don’t see the risk associated with driving while high, and even more concerning, some believe it makes them better drivers,” she said.

“ We’re proud of this new work that builds on our 30-year partnership with NHTSA to reshape driver habits, and we’re grateful to our trusted creative partners at Standard Practice for bringing this powerful message to life.”

Despite the growing legality of marijuana use across the US, it remains illegal to drive under its influence in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The Ad Council’s research shows that many young male drivers still struggle to recognise the risks, and that clearer education on the consequences can shift perceptions.

“Too many young men think marijuana doesn’t affect their driving ability or even makes them safer drivers,” explained NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. Marijuana slows down a driver’s reaction time and impairs their coordination and judgement. This new PSA reminds motorists that driving high puts us all at risk, and can have deadly consequences.”

For agency Standard Practice, the brief meant engaging directly with the rationalisations that surfaced during research. “[They] were a reminder of how easy it can be to justify dangerous choices, and how important it is to challenge those assumptions,” said Steve Dolan, partner and creative director. He added, “Driving under the influence is never safe, and we’re proud of our new creative because it challenges common misconceptions in an honest, relatable way.”

Running across TV, digital, print and out-of-home, the campaign will roll out across the US in donated time and space from media partners. Since 2019, the broader initiative has generated more than $94 million in donated media value, and over 7.5 billion impressions.