In June, 1988, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in South Carolina launched a media campaign, called "Highways or Dieways?", in an attempt to reduce motor vehicle fatalities. Deaths per vehicle mile declined during the succeeding years and the DPS attributed all of the reduction to the campaign, gleaning some 64 awards in the process. This research indicates that the DPS took credit for a decline in fatalities that resulted from other factors. Fatality rates in South Carolina were actually higher during the campaign that would have been expected from the historic association of South Carolina's rates with the national rate or those of other states in the region. The campaign actually illustrates the principle that ad campaigns alone are often ineffective in changing public health.
Abstract