Dangerous Driving in Car Ads

[IllustriousPotentate]

[Link]

A Canadian study has determined that 45% of all car ads depict some form of dangerous driving.

What do you think? Does this have an affect on drivers? Can people who purchase these cars due to the ads they've seen for them be motivated to drive dangerously, as well?

[Ultimagu]

I believe that if your stupid enough to try some of the fast winding turns that those drivers do in the ads. Go right ahead. Just don't kill me, or my family or friends. Then, I might pray for you.

[Gunter45]

At 10/18/05 09:23 PM, IllustriousPotentate wrote: What do you think? Does this have an affect on drivers? Can people who purchase these cars due to the ads they've seen for them be motivated to drive dangerously, as well?

I don't know if you've ever been to Austin, but there's plenty of bad drivers without them trying to drift around corners.

Seriously, though, I don't think it's the commercials, after all, I think that the commercials depict the way people wish the could drive, not the other way around. It might have an effect, but I don't see people doing the things they do in car commercials, you need a lot of space to do that.

[Samuel-HALL]

At 10/18/05 09:23 PM, IllustriousPotentate wrote: A Canadian study has determined that 45% of all car ads depict some form of dangerous driving.

One wonders what the percentage of movies, both from Hollywood and Independant producers, depict unneccesary acts of violence. How many movies depict immoral acts, in general?

What do you think? Does this have an affect on drivers? Can people who purchase these cars due to the ads they've seen for them be motivated to drive dangerously, as well?

One would have to ask the same questions about movies, and videogames.
And, seeing as how most around here grow a big angry hard-on at the mere mention of 'Media influences people to violence'...I'll call this matter closed.

This study was worthless.

[IllustriousPotentate]

At 10/18/05 09:52 PM, _FLAGG wrote: One would have to ask the same questions about movies, and videogames.
And, seeing as how most around here grow a big angry hard-on at the mere mention of 'Media influences people to violence'...I'll call this matter closed.

This study was worthless.

Not precisely. Movies and games, while they may teach people to conduct violence, don't exist solely to do that. These car ads only exist to demonstrate what the car is capable of doing.

If people see these ads that demonstrate the top speed, high-speed cornering, etc. aspects of the car, and are motivated to buy such a car, aren't they more likely to try out the top speed and high speed cornering for themselves over someone who just went to the lot, and picked out a car because he likes the looks and features of it?

[Samuel-HALL]

At 10/18/05 10:11 PM, IllustriousPotentate wrote: If people see these ads that demonstrate the top speed, high-speed cornering, etc. aspects of the car, and are motivated to buy such a car, aren't they more likely to try out the top speed and high speed cornering for themselves over someone who just went to the lot, and picked out a car because he likes the looks and features of it?

Mayhaps, but to no more of an extent than one purchasing a gun (which is advertised through the gun's ability to shoot quickly, acurately, and powerfully) buying it to kill someone.
A car is capable of doing all those things in the commercial (on a closed course, driven by a professional driver), sure. Yet, Law states that one is not to drive like that.
And a gun is capable of killing scores of people. Law, however, declares that murder is illegal.

If one is purchasing a car to exceed safe speed limits, and drive recklessly...they're not the fastest Dodge on the lot, to begin with.
Are you asking if people are influenced by commercials, like that? Probably.
But they're the same kind of people who are influenced by violent movies, pro-wrestling, and rap music.

So I'm not really getting what the point of this thread is.

Is it 'Stupid Folks Find Another Way to Screw Things Up?'?

[Jimsween]

I wish the government would tell me what to think......

[BigBlueBalls]

The other day I was watching a commercial where they were advertising how manuverable their car is and the guy saw a deer in his headlights and flew around it at full speed. It's one thing to get out of the way to avoid a collision with a deer, but it's another when you don't even slow down or consider that a car might be coming right around that corner as well.

[RedSkunk]

At 10/18/05 10:26 PM, Jimsween wrote: I wish the government would tell me what to think......

They do.

The impact of these ads is negligible. People don't base their car buying decisions expressly on television ads. Additionally, people's driving habits aren't based on TV advertisements. A person who drives like a bat out of hell, will find what car helps them do this - without some glossy tele ad.

I mean, come on. The study says 45%. 45% of the cars on the road today - shit, 45% of new cars on the market - are not performance-oriented vehicles.

[morefngdbs]

Any commercial I have seen like that has a warning, that it is professional drivers, on closed courses etc.
I think they are just trying to show how their cars handle, and trying to make an otherwise dull commercial look a little more exciting.
I would love to see a blooper reel of the cars failing to make the turn or slide into the parking space.
But ,you know they are not about to show us that. :-)