Road Crew

More Background On RoadCrewOnline.org

RoadCrewOnline.org represents one of the most innovative and socially impactful transportation-safety initiatives to emerge from rural America in the early 2000s. Known simply as Road Crew, the program pioneered a practical, culturally attuned approach to reducing alcohol-impaired driving by offering an enticing ride service specifically designed for the people most likely to drive after drinking. Rather than relying solely on penalties, awareness campaigns, or guilt-based messaging, Road Crew directly addressed the behaviors, motivations, and social dynamics of its target audience—offering a transportation alternative that was convenient, cool, and socially rewarding.

The website RoadCrewOnline.org functioned not just as a home for the program, but also as a digital hub where communities, policymakers, researchers, and safety advocates could learn more about the model, access implementation resources, and examine documented outcomes. This article provides an in-depth, fully self-contained overview of the program, including its history, ownership, mission, services, cultural relevance, public reception, accomplishments, and legacy.

Origins and Ownership

Road Crew was not a private company but rather a public-safety partnership. The program was developed and operated by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Safety, working in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin School of Business and the communications consultancy MasComm Associates. This cross-sector structure enabled the program to combine government authority, academic research, and marketing strategy into a single, unified effort.

The University of Wisconsin’s involvement was particularly important. Under the guidance of researchers studying behavioral economics and social marketing, Road Crew became an applied example of how business principles—specifically branding, customer experience design, pricing strategy, and audience segmentation—could be used to influence dangerous behaviors and improve public safety outcomes.

Unlike many traditional transportation-safety programs, Road Crew also brought in private community partners such as tavern owners, bar staff, local businesses, and even beverage distributors. This coalition reflected a unique perspective: instead of treating drinking establishments as adversaries, Road Crew recognized them as integral components of rural social life and therefore valuable allies in shaping responsible behavior.

Historical Context

The Road Crew initiative emerged during a time when alcohol-related crashes were a significant concern in rural Wisconsin. The demographic most likely to drive after drinking—21- to 34-year-old single men—did not respond strongly to typical public-safety messaging. Researchers found that traditional solutions such as posters, DUI penalties, and designated-driver campaigns were not producing measurable behavior change in this group.

Rural settings also presented unique challenges. Public transportation was limited or nonexistent. Taxi service was scarce. Distances between homes, bars, and events were often long. And in many small towns, driving oneself to the bar was not just convenient but culturally ingrained.

Road Crew was developed as an intentional response to all of these factors. The program launched in the early 2000s, with major pilot communities beginning operations around 2002. By combining hard data, behavioral insights, and strong community partnerships, the initiative built a practical model capable of addressing a deeply rooted social issue.

Mission and Goals

The key goals of Road Crew were:

1. Reduce alcohol-impaired driving in rural communities.

This was the central mission—cut down on the number of drunk drivers on the road by offering them an attractive alternative.

2. Prevent crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

Every avoided DUI had the potential to save lives, reduce medical and legal costs, and spare families from tragic loss.

3. Use marketing—not moralizing—to influence behavior.

Rather than shaming or lecturing the target audience, Road Crew aimed to understand their motivations and provide a service aligned with their habits and social preferences.

4. Create a self-sustaining model.

The program was designed so that communities could eventually operate it without relying entirely on state or federal funding. Fares, sponsorships, and local coalition support were built into the long-term structure.

5. Provide a replicable system for other towns and counties.

RoadCrewOnline.org hosted tools, guidelines, and case studies to help other rural communities launch their own versions of the program.

Services Offered (The “Menu” of Road Crew)

Road Crew offered a highly specific, unusually appealing ride service, structured to meet the needs and preferences of the target demographic.

Door-to-Door Transportation

The most important feature was that Road Crew picked people up at their homes before they began drinking. This pre-emptive design separated individuals from their vehicles at the start of the night, eliminating the temptation to drive home intoxicated.

Bar-to-Bar Transport All Night

Participants could ride continuously among bars, parties, and social events as part of the service. This was essential, because bar-hopping was common in the target demographic.

Safe Ride Home

At the end of the evening, Road Crew ensured that every participant got home safely, preventing impaired driving while also providing reassurance to local law enforcement.

Use of Older Luxury Vehicles

A distinctive hallmark of the program was its fleet: limousines, older luxury sedans, and other stylish vehicles. This creative choice gave the service a sense of prestige and fun—transforming a “safe ride” into an experience.

Affordable, Community-Supported Pricing

Rides were free or low-cost, depending on the community, with some areas funded partly through rider fees and partly through bar sponsorships or local fundraising.

Consistent Weekend Availability

Friday and Saturday evenings—peak drinking times—were the program’s operational focus. In some communities, service expanded to holidays or major events.

Target Audience

Road Crew focused on a very narrow, clearly researched demographic:

• Age: 21–34

• Gender: Predominantly male

• Lifestyle: Regular bar-going, social drinkers

• Occupation: Often blue-collar workers

• Location: Rural counties and small towns

• Characteristics: Value convenience, social status, group activities, and independence

This highly specific targeting set Road Crew apart from generic “safe ride” programs. By tailoring the service’s branding, language, and vehicle style to this group, Road Crew successfully positioned itself as “something cool” rather than a safety lecture.

Community Involvement

Road Crew was built on the belief that local partnerships are essential in rural safety programs. Important community partners included:

• Tavern owners — distributing passes, encouraging patrons to ride, displaying promotional materials

• Bartenders — referring intoxicated patrons and promoting ride use

• Local law enforcement — supporting the program and recognizing its crash-prevention value

• County governments — assisting with grants and administrative coordination

• Local businesses — sponsoring rides or advertising through the program

• Volunteers and advisory groups — particularly groups of young adult men, who helped shape marketing strategies and vehicle choices

These coalitions gave Road Crew cultural legitimacy and increased adoption.

Impact and Results

Road Crew produced measurable, independently studied results.

Rides Provided

Across its counties of operation, the program delivered more than 85,000–97,000 rides within its first several years.

Crashes Prevented

Researchers estimated that approximately 140 alcohol-related crashes were prevented during early operations.

Lives Saved

The program is credited with saving an estimated six lives—an impact that any family affected by impaired driving would consider immeasurable.

Economic Savings

The cost analysis is striking:

• Cost of preventing a crash through Road Crew: around $6,000

• Cost of an alcohol-related crash to the community: more than $200,000

This produced over $30 million in estimated community savings.

Influence on Public Attitudes

Community surveys showed high awareness and strong support. Many residents believed Road Crew noticeably reduced drunk driving in their towns.

Cultural and Social Significance

Road Crew was more than a transportation service—it was a cultural intervention.

Addressing Rural Bar Culture

In many Wisconsin towns, drinking is deeply entwined with social life. Expecting people to simply “drink less” or “leave their car home” was unrealistic. Road Crew acknowledged and worked within this reality, offering a safe alternative without demanding lifestyle changes.

Turning Safety into Fun

By using limousines and luxury vehicles, the program reframed safety as enjoyable rather than burdensome. This helped reduce the stigma associated with needing a ride.

Challenging Male Identity Norms

Many young men resist being seen as “responsible,” “safe,” or “careful” when out with peers. But riding in a limo? That aligned perfectly with their social image.

Showing how Design Influences Behavior

Road Crew became a widely studied example of how thoughtful service design can outperform traditional messaging-only safety campaigns.

Media Coverage and Public Perception

The program received attention from:

• Public safety conferences

• Social-marketing organizations

• Behavioral-economics researchers

• Local Wisconsin news

• Academic journals

• Community coalitions throughout the Midwest

It was often highlighted as a model for how rural communities can creatively tackle impaired driving using evidence-based, culturally informed strategies.

Awards and Recognition

Road Crew received regional recognition for its marketing materials, innovative approach, and measurable outcomes. Its research was published in highly ranked transportation-safety journals, and the program was repeatedly referenced in national discussions on behavioral interventions.

Website Function: RoadCrewOnline.org

RoadCrewOnline.org served several purposes:

• Provided the public with information about the program

• Shared statistics, evaluation data, and safety messaging

• Offered toolkits for other communities to replicate the model

• Served as a contact hub for researchers, drivers, and local leaders

• Documented the program’s philosophies, advisory groups, and marketing strategies

• Maintained updates on expansion, grants, and community recruitment

The website essentially functioned as both an operational base and a long-term archive of the Road Crew initiative.

Legacy and Replication Potential

Road Crew’s approach continues to be referenced in public-health and transportation-safety circles more than 20 years after its inception. Its legacy includes:

• Demonstrating that ride-services tailored to cultural dynamics can meaningfully reduce impaired driving

• Showing the value of designing services that people want, not merely need

• Inspiring other rural communities to explore similar transportation solutions

• Contributing to the broader field of social marketing as a public-safety strategy

Even though rideshare companies now exist, Road Crew’s model remains relevant because it addressed issues—such as rural distance, group identity, limited transit, and local bar culture—that commercial services often do not fully solve.

RoadCrewOnline.org stands as the digital footprint of one of the most thoughtful, culturally responsive, and successful rural impaired-driving prevention programs ever developed. By combining academic research, grassroots coalition-building, social-marketing principles, and practical transportation services, Road Crew demonstrated that effective public safety interventions must align with real human behavior—not fight against it.

Its record of preventing crashes, saving lives, reducing community costs, and shifting social norms underscores its importance as a model for rural safety innovation. RoadCrewOnline.org preserves this legacy and provides a blueprint for any community seeking to improve road safety in a way that is appealing, efficient, and culturally grounded.