It is fairly sobering that a renewed debate should break out on the Easter weekend about automotive advertising.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industry wants to conduct further consumer research into whether there should be restrictions on car advertisements that show excessive speed and aggressive driving.
The chamber and others have argued that there is little harm in the hyperbolic advertisements that show young drivers accelerating violently, speeding and generally putting cars through their paces.
The Austrailan Automobile Association, which reprsentas the broad mass of motorists, has argued to the contrary. Its executive director quite correctly points out, “” More research is a waste of time. The issue is not what the consumer thinks about the ads but rather the impact the ads have on motorists.”
A balance has to be made here. Overseas research shows that the banning of these sorts of advertisements – or at least their control by a vluntary code – does not affect overall cars sales. They are controlled in countries like New Zealand, Britain and Canada. On the other hand, allowing them to continue adds to the culture of speed and agression on the road that result in road trauma. When that balance is made, the case for control is obvious. Governments should tell the automotive industry to get their house in order or face mandatory controls of advertisements that glorify speed and aggressive driving techniques.
It seems absurd that the community is spending millions of dollars promoting a message that speed kills and at the same time permits glossy advertisements from car manufacturers saying that powerful cars capable of high speed driven aggressively.
The argument that the automotive industry needs these advertisments to sell cars does not hold water. It is by and large an international industry. The big manufacturers still manage to sell cars in countries where codes control or ban these sorts of advertisements. Most automotive advertising is directed to attracting market share, so if all manufacturers agree on a code than does not promote aggression and speed, none is disadvantaged. But the community is advantaged because the subliminal message that speed is glamorous and acceptable is not delivered to impressionable young minds.
It is astounding that the automotive manufacturers should need the threat of the force of law to behave responsibly. It might be too cynical to suggest that they deliberately promote aggressive, reckless driving because it results in more wrecked cars and ultimately more sales. But it is not too cynical to say that the manufacturers are being highly irresponsible and need to be toed into line.