Motor vehicle firms choke up for new anti-gassing campaign
Rev Head | 11.05.2006 08:28 | Ecology | World
The new ads are the result of an ACCC ruling, which found marketing claims that vehicles using petrol and diesel are more comfortable and faster had been misleading and possibly breached trade practices.
Gloom, Gloom, Gloom
Doom Doom Doom
Oh! What a feeling?
AUSTRALIA: Resolution … the campaign is timed for the New Year desire to quit driving.
A 10 billion anti-accident and anti-choking advertising campaign, paid for by motor vehicle companies, was launched yesterday to encourage more drivers to quit.
The television, radio and print campaign was agreed to under a deal with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The messages "All petrol and diesel motor vehicles are toxic"
"All motor vehicles are a deadly weapon"
After a recent commission ruling banned motor vehicle companies from using the terms zoom, zoom, zoom because four in five drivers once described as cool, are now driving too fast or have become road raged said the executive director of Quit, Terry Harper.
But research shows drivers compensate for road rage by inadvertently revving the engine in traffic, giving everyone more tar than a locomotive on coal - and serious health risks from the gas emissions.
Tina Jones, head of the anti-motor vehicle group Action on Motor Vehicles and Health, said: "Drivers think if they go from a motor bike to a wagon, to a four wheel drive , they are getting more of something."
"Well they are, more gas and more traffic accidents," she said.
The Australian Medical Association's president, Zigesh Haikerwal, said the campaign was long overdue. "Motor industry efforts to push these products on drivers through slick advertising with the promise that they drive faster and look better and are less harmful is a dishonest attempt to make the industry look more responsible," he said.
Ms Jones said that by March 2007, new graphic health warnings would be required on all petrol and diesel motor vehicle panels, and a government advertising campaign foreshadowing these was scheduled for February 2007.
It was hoped these campaigns would reduce current accident rates and pollution from motor vehicle emissions would also be significantly reduced, she said.
The new ads are the result of an ACCC ruling, which found marketing claims that vehicles using petrol and diesel are more comfortable and faster had been misleading and possibly breached trade practices.
A 10 billion anti-accident and anti-choking advertising campaign, paid for by motor vehicle companies, was launched yesterday to encourage more drivers to quit.
The television, radio and print campaign was agreed to under a deal with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The messages "All petrol and diesel motor vehicles are toxic"
"All motor vehicles are a deadly weapon"
After a recent commission ruling banned motor vehicle companies from using the terms zoom, zoom, zoom because four in five drivers once described as cool, are now driving too fast or have become road raged said the executive director of Quit, Terry Harper.
But research shows drivers compensate for road rage by inadvertently revving the engine in traffic, giving everyone more tar than a locomotive on coal - and serious health risks from the gas emissions.
Tina Jones, head of the anti-motor vehicle group Action on Motor Vehicles and Health, said: "Drivers think if they go from a motor bike to a wagon, to a four wheel drive , they are getting more of something."
"Well they are, more gas and more traffic accidents," she said.
The Australian Medical Association's president, Zigesh Haikerwal, said the campaign was long overdue. "Motor industry efforts to push these products on drivers through slick advertising with the promise that they drive faster and look better and are less harmful is a dishonest attempt to make the industry look more responsible," he said.
Ms Jones said that by March 2007, new graphic health warnings would be required on all petrol and diesel motor vehicle panels, and a government advertising campaign foreshadowing these was scheduled for February 2007.
It was hoped these campaigns would reduce current accident rates and pollution from motor vehicle emissions would also be significantly reduced, she said.
The new ads are the result of an ACCC ruling, which found marketing claims that vehicles using petrol and diesel are more comfortable and faster had been misleading and possibly breached trade practices.
Rev Head