December 14, 2009

The Designated Driver Turns 21

Harvard School of Public Health professor Jay Winsten enlisted popular TV shows to reduce drunk-driving fatalities.

The "designated driver" has turned 21—and during that period, the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities has fallen from about 25,000 a year to about 13,000. Today’s Boston Globe reported this news in a brief interview with Jay Winsten, associate dean for public and community affairs at Harvard School of Public Health.

Winsten played a major role in introducing the Scandinavian practice to the United States as a positive solution to the problem of drinking and driving; a major breakthrough was getting popular TV shows to refer to designated drivers in their programming, as the Globe interview and “Drinking and Driving Get Prime Time,” an article from the Harvard Magazine archives, make clear.

You might also like

Several people are holding a large ribbon for a ceremony outside a modern building.

Phase A of the Allston project includes a hotel, residences, and a two-acre greenway.

Modern building surrounded by trees and a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Harvard will rename the building following a $100 million gift from Stuart Zimmer ’91.

Construction site featuring tall concrete structures, cranes, and a blue sky with clouds.

Pritzker Hall, designed for collaboration, should be complete in 2027.

Most popular

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

A man in a suit waves while smiling, with greenery in the background.

He was Harvard’s quintessential people person

An older man sits on a gravestone in a cemetery, looking contemplative.

The Secrets of Haiti’s Living Dead

A Harvard botanist investigates mystic potions, voodoo rites, and the making of zombies.

Explore More From Current Issue

An open book with a film strip emerging, trailing popcorn and a dancer silhouette.

Letters to the Editor

Readers Respond to Our Adaptations Survey

We asked people to share their favorite art adaptations. Here’s what they said.

Undergraduate Column

For both American and international students, growing up is like learning a new language.

Harvey Mansfield seated in a bright yellow chair, surrounded by bookshelves and cozy decor.

Faculty

The retired government professor has been a rare conservative voice on campus for decades.