ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Talking urinals have been installed in US pubs as part of a campaign to cut down drink driving.

Set off by a motion sensor, the gadget delivers a message warning pub-goers about the perils of driving under the influence.

Customers are greeted with a message which begins: "Hey, listen up - that's right, I'm talking to you.

"Have you had a few drinks, maybe a few too many? Do yourself and everyone else a favour and call a cab."

The campaign was introduced in pubs in Michigan in a bid to cut down drink driving ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

"We put a very serious message in a unique place, with a little humour," Anne Readett, from the Office of Highway Safety Planning said.

And hand hygiene has not been forgotten either. The message ends with a friendly: "Oh, and by the way, don't forget to wash your hands."

The urinal cake is the brainchild of Wizmark, a US-based company that offers other products incorporating advertising messages.

www.wizmark.com