Road safety is important – even in advertisements
23/03/2009

Consumer pressure has led to the SABC’s withdrawal of an advertisement featuring commuters failing to wear seatbelts in a moving vehicle.

A road-safety conscious consumer, Mr CR Benson recently lodged a complaint against an SABC television advertisement promoting its Kinky Afro CD. In essence, the complainant claimed that the advertisement was irresponsible, because the people depicted were driving in a vehicle without wearing seatbelts. Although there was no ruling in this particular matter because the SABC removed the advertisement, there have been a number of previous decisions dealing with this topic.

Mr Benson, who has become something of an activist with regard to road-safety issues, has lodged complaints with the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) over the past few years regarding advertisements depicting scenes which encourage poor road-safety practices.

Specifically, the ASA has ruled against various advertisers whose advertisements depict people not wearing seatbelts or helmets, or which depict reckless or negligent driving in any form.

The rule is simple – advertisements cannot contain scenarios which are illegal or in any way encourage illegal or immoral behaviour.
Lindie Serrurier
Senior Associate
lindie-s@adamsadams.co.za
Adams & Adams