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.

Related topics

You might also like

Amid contract negotations, two unions are discussing a joint walkout this fall.

The University has pushed the adoption of AI into teaching and operations, but faculty resistance is growing louder.

The division is launching a new fundraising effort to support 50 additional students.

Most popular

A former Harvard College writing tutor changes her mind on LLMs.

Eldo Kim ’16 charged in Harvard bomb threat

Eldo Kim ’16 was allegedly trying to avoid a final exam.

Professor Cornell William Brooks and Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts hold a lively debate on DEI and Project 2025.

Explore More From Current Issue

A smiling elderly man in glasses sits comfortably in a striped armchair.

Plus, veteran higher education leader Thomas Ehrlich reflects on university curricula for his 70th reunion

Decorative wrought iron gate framed by leafy branches, captured in sepia tones.

Former Indiana University president Thomas Ehrlich looks back on curriculum, co-education, and other major trends.

A football player in a white jersey evades a defender in a green uniform on the field.

Despite personnel losses, Crimson captain Xaviah Bascon is upbeat about the 2026 season.