Who's Bob tonight?
12 December 2024
With the holidays around the corner, head out for drinks in Belgium, and you'll probably hear the question: "Who's Bob tonight?" It might sound odd to newcomers, but for Belgians, it's perfectly normal – Bob is the designated driver who stays sober to get everyone home safely.
The Bob campaign has existed in Belgium since 1995 and is a collaboration between the government, police, and the beer brewing industry. The goal is to highlight the dangers of drink-driving, especially in the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year's Eve. The idea is simple: pick someone who agrees not to drink to drive everyone home safely – that's Bob!
The initiative worked right from the start. The first holiday season with Bob counted zero road deaths, and the proportion of drivers who consume too much alcohol drops to 1.8%, compared with 3% when the campaign is not running.
The name Bob, which was meant to be changed after the pitch proposal, has become the symbol against drunk driving: after its success in Belgium, the Bob campaign was adopted in neighbouring countries Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg. It has also served as an inspiration across the continent, with many countries now having their own designated driver campaigns.
 | Laura Muyldermans While the Bob campaign may save many lives, drunk-driving is still all too common on our roads. Two weeks ago, the Flemish TV star Tom Waes crashed his car after drinking too much. He survived but Flanders was shocked, reigniting arguments in favour of zero tolerance. |
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