Most drivers in the US confuse alcoholic beverages with energy drinks and soda - survey
Kyiv • UNN
Up to 80% of American drivers could not distinguish alcoholic beverages from non-alcoholic ones based solely on the appearance of the can. Bright packaging with fruits constantly deceived consumers.
Up to 80% of American drivers could not distinguish alcoholic from non-alcoholic beverages based solely on the appearance of the can. The most confusion was caused by brands with bright illustrations, which made drivers mistake alcohol for soda, writes UNN with reference to Motorbiscuit.
Details
In a new survey, 2,000 American drivers were asked to identify 14 beverages based solely on their packaging. The results showed how little people identify content solely by the bottle.
Only 57% of participants were able to correctly identify alcoholic beverages such as "White Claw" or "Twisted Tea." The most misleading was the 5% ABV Vizzy seltzer. 8 out of 10 drivers thought it was something completely different - sparkling water or flavored water. The bright packaging with fruits constantly deceived consumers. Other brands were almost as misleading.
"Four Loko" with an alcohol content of up to 14% confused 66% of participants, despite years of media coverage of its potency. Truly and High Noon Sun Sips misled over 60% of drivers, while BuzzBallz deceived 53%. Some believed that "buzz" meant caffeine, not alcohol.
The results were opposite for non-alcoholic beverages. A quarter of drivers thought Liquid Death, a canned water brand, contained alcohol. Another 39% mistook Drip mineral water for an energy drink. The survey shows that bold graphics and youth-oriented branding blur the line between what is safe to drive and what is not.
The consequences are not abstract
The survey mentions real cases of confusion. For example, a man from North Carolina drank "White Claw" every day on his way to work, convinced it was an energy drink. And a school bus driver lost his job after mistaking the same brand for flavored water.
The study was conducted by Wheelsaway, a car price comparison platform. A company spokesperson emphasized attentiveness: drivers should check labels before buying. Today's variety of drinks can lead to choosing "the wrong can," and sometimes this can lead to drunk driving.