“Just one drink” can turn into “Drunk Detour” - AWARE.org urges South Africans to Stay on the Right Track This Easter

It starts off as just one drink. Then maybe another. “I’m fine,” you tell yourself. “I’ve driven like this before.” Famous last words that can quickly take you on an unwanted drunk detour.

This Easter, AWARE.org, the Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education, is taking a bold and thought-provoking stance aimed at tackling a very serious issue: drunk driving.

Its latest campaign, “Drunk Detour: Don’t Let Alcohol Steer Your Fate,” flips the script on drinking and driving by visualising it as a literal detour—one filled with potholes of poor decisions, wrong turns because of irresponsible driver behaviour, and pit stops no one ever wants to make (think: jail, hospital, or worse).

“Life is full of unexpected turns, and sometimes the smallest decisions lead us down a completely different path,” says Mokebe Thulo, CEO of AWARE.org.

Everyone has taken a wrong turn before - literally or figuratively. This campaign uses that universal experience to make people think deeply about what could happen when they allow alcohol to take the driver’s seat.

Using maps, detour signs, GPS prompts (“Recalculating route...”), and familiar digitally enabled road-trip visuals, the campaign is both a wake-up call and a mirror showing us how that seemingly harmless drink can lead to not-so-harmless consequences. One moment you're enjoying time with friends, the next you're explaining your life choices to a traffic officer... or even more gravely, being assisted by a paramedic at the scene of a road accident.

The choice to drink is yours – but so are the consequences. And they might lead you down one of these roads:

• Embarrassment Avenue – where you’re stuck explaining your unacceptable breathalyser test reading.
• Jail Street – the only bars here are metal, and there’s no happy hour.
• Regret Road – a tough, winding path that’s hard to come back from.

This campaign is especially important during Easter, a time of high travel volumes, joyful reunions, and unfortunately, in the past, increased road fatalities. South Africans are being asked to pause, plan, and prioritise safety before making decisions they will regret. Whether you're going to church, your cousin’s braai that turns into a party by 3pm, or a scenic meander through our beautiful countryside, AWARE.org wants you to nominate a sober driver, call a cab, or simply wait until it is safe to go.

The truth is, no one wakes up and thinks, “Today I’m going to cause a crash.” But every time someone drinks and drives, they take a risk that affects not just themselves, but passengers, other road users, and their loved ones.

Thulo concludes with advice for safe holidays – and every day: “Stay on the road that leads home. Plan your ride before you start drinking. Drunk driving can take you places you never wanted to go. Don’t drink and drive.”