The Speed of Car Commercials

The aftermath of the April 12, 2007 car accident that nearly killed New Jersey Governor John Corzine has arguably had a positive impact on automobile safety. Corzine's televised public service message recounting his ordeal will make Americans think twice about not buckling up, and those who do not face increasing ticketing and fines. However, transportation department officials and safety advocates continue to overlook one glaring issue: the glorification of speeding and reckless driving in many car commercials.

While some car companies stress the safety features of their automobiles, most continue to push the message of power and speed. Examples abound. Nissan commercials in which a man touches a parked car, causing images of wildly accelerating vehicles and buried speedometer needles to race through his head. Mazda's ongoing "zoom-zoom-zoom" campaign. Even Cadillac is departing from its conservative, rather stodgy reputation and encouraging drivers to "break through." All of this contributes to the popular mindset that fast is glamorous.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 43,300 Americans were killed in traffic accidents last year, and another 2.5 million were injured, many seriously. Speed was a factor in nearly 1/3 of all fatal accidents. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for people under age 35. This is a national epidemic that is treated more like an inevitable side effect of the transportation revolution. The state trooper who was driving the governor's SUV was traveling at a speed of 91 miles per hour when the crash occurred, yet Corzine and his staff maintain that they were moving with the flow of traffic.

Other industries are subject to advertising restrictions and regulations. Cigarette companies are forbidden to advertise at all. Companies that produce alcoholic beverages are not permitted to show anyone drinking in their commercials. Yet car companies remain totally unfettered, permitted to continue with their egregious commercials, absolved of all responsibility because of a tiny disclaimer.

Still, agencies such as the NHTSA, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Centers for Disease Control and state departments of transportation have been strangely silent on this issue. Legislators are unwilling to touch the subject. Parents with driving-age children do not seem concerned that teenagers- who statistically have the most car accidents- will be influenced by watching commercials with flashy new vehicles executing maneuvers that would make Speed Racer nervous. So who will take the car companies to task?