Why is Reckless Speed Promoted in Nearly All Auto Ads?

http://www.cartalk.com/content/rant-and-rave-163



http://driversdonttext.com/Irresponsible_Ads.aspx



http://www.carthrottle.com/post/this-is-the-best-anti-speeding-adve...



By Tom Magliozzi


Think about automotive ads on tv. Nearly all of them show (stunt) drivers traveling at outrageous speeds, with the simple caveat (in small print) professional driver on closed track. Do not attempt !

Why are horsepower and speed so important to sell cars/Suvs? Are horsepower and speed innately desirable, or are they powerful because constant advertising makes them desirable?

Many years ago. People actually drove safely and politely. Today you'd be hard pressed to describe drivers as sane or polite. Have we all just become insane and impolite? I don't think so. The auto companies have been a major influence in shaping "what we have become." Through the products they have made and the methods by which they have advertised those products. They have done us a grievous disservice. How, with horsepower and speed.

It's time for reckless car ads to show, "this is stupid driving!" across the middle of the ad in bold letters! The mindset that these ads are amusing and entertaining is indicative of the obstacles to universally responsible driving behavior.

Reckless car ads are an irresponsible enticement to dangerous driving in everyday traffic. Buy this vehicle, drive like this, and you, too, will be cool, popular, sophisticated, and desirable.

Because cars/Suv's and bicycles share the road, this IS bicycle related.

A civil discussion on topics and issues is more productive than lashing out at people you disagree with.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 16, 2015 at 10:27am
The best current example of a reckless auto company ad is the Nissan car ad where the host is standing in the center of a dealer parking lot and customers cars are skidding/drifting rapidly around him. Then the final shot is the Nissan 'soccer mom' in her Suv skidding and drifting into a dealer parking spot next to him. Nissan, safe drivers NOT welcome !

If you want to see this ad watch tv today. Especially around local news time. Over and over! It was just on !
Permalink Reply by Tricolor on March 16, 2015 at 3:57pm

Back in school my friend's parents though buying him an old SAAB would keep him safe and out of trouble. Then we found this ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwpzhiNurI0

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 18, 2015 at 4:35pm
Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on March 17, 2015 at 5:37am

They don't want to be reminded of all the hassles of driving in traffic, and that in dense urban areas it is the slowest method of transportation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkOzNK4l8KY

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 17, 2015 at 6:24pm
Permalink Reply by Gabe still not the other gabe on March 18, 2015 at 9:43am

Drifting in a parking lot is reckless? I work with a woman who's helped organize drift events (pro drivers, closed course) and they're held in parking lots. With cones. What are you going to hit? A cone? Ok...

Or how about autox - where you use your own personal daily driver in a parking lot with cones in a time trial race? You get to actually learn how your car handles and behaves and improve your car control, just like in drifting. And in Autox they have this thing called a "Chicago box", which basically simulates having to quickly leave your lane and get back in it - like an evasive maneuver. It's fun, and it teaches you a lot.

Or how about rallyx, like I like to do in my car. It's the same as autox, only instead of a parking lot with cones you're in a grass field or farmland dodging cones. Same stuff applies, you learn a lot about how to actually drive, how a car behaves, and it's a ton of fun.

And then when you've done any or all of those things when you're puttering down the road at the legal speed limit in traffic you can relax and concentrate on your surroundings because you know how to control your car without thinking - something drivers ed seriously leaves lacking in the US. And you'll be the kind of driver who enjoys driving and won't pick up a cell phone or anything stupid like that.

Indiana Rallycross season opener at the Badlands Off Road park is April 11th. The courses are rough, but any non-lowered car can compete. All you need is a helmet (motorcycle is ok) Come give it a try!

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 18, 2015 at 10:17am
Toyota Celica - Old Man, Looks Fast: http://youtu.be/UK3GOFqVSyI
Permalink Reply by Gabe still not the other gabe on March 18, 2015 at 10:29am

Which side of the debate are you posting this as? Are you saying a car sitting still is reckless? Are you the old man yelling at what he doesn't understand or are you saying the car, by looking fast, is therefore inappropriate? It's a Celica. Celicas were always a sports/sporty car. Shouldn't it look fast? It would be a design failure if it didn't.

I've been told to slow down by a man jogging along side the miata I was driving once. Think about that for a second. How fast do you jog?

I have video of my wife driving very slowly on a rallyx course. Or, I should say her speed was low, she was driving incredibly well and aggressively. It was in December some years ago, the course was solid ice covered in snow, she never got out of first gear, but controlled the slides perfectly though each gate and never hit one cone. She can control a car in the snow now. Car enthusiasts, people who like fast and aggressive cars, made that happen. How confident are all of you in the snow? I've had to do emergency maneuvers around crashed semi's on the highway I've come upon in blind corners in MO on I44 in the snow. No problem, but I enjoy driving fast so like I said when I'm doing 45 in a snow storm on the interstate it's nothing. I just avoid everyone else and keep distance. We saw cars off the road at every exit ramp because they had no idea a car in the snow can't slow down and turn at the same time. But by all means, let's not encourage people to learn to drive aggressively at the limits of the car on a closed course, it's way better to just send them out into traffic unprepared.

And if you google "ford mustang autox" you'll find many many videos much like the "ford prank" posted above. Closed courses, empty parking lots. The ford mustang is a very popular car for enthusiasts and these autox events are held in pretty much every city across the US. The driver paid their $30-$80 or so for the club or venue and went racing for the day. Then drove to work Monday having gotten his need for speed out, and much calmer and probably cursing the traffic for being full of incompetent drivers who need more experience.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on March 18, 2015 at 11:10am

I'm not disagreeing with anything you said, but I've gotta tell ya, for a little bit there, you sounded a lot like the other Gabe.

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 18, 2015 at 11:32am
The 'old man ad' was used to inject some humor. I personally love speed on my bike and in my vehicle. But only in a controlled and reasonable manner. I just feel that reckless car ads are an irresponsible enticement to dangerous driving in everyday traffic when people are influenced by them and try to act like a driver in the ads. Haven't you ever been ahead of a driver in traffic and he's revving his engine and trying to switch lanes rapidly in a reckless hurry?
Permalink Reply by Tricolor on March 18, 2015 at 2:25pm

Better than racing on Doty Road around three in the morning? I've got a few good memories from summers in the early 00s.

Permalink Reply by David Beazley on March 19, 2015 at 12:00am

Although reckless driving is a concern, I'm actually more concerned about the drivers of luxury cars thinking that it would be really cool to bring about the dystopian future that they always seem to be driving around in.  What the hell is that all about anyways?

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