§ 2.5 p.m.
§ LORD CONESFORDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their attention has been called to an advertisement by the Standard Triumph Company in the following terms: "You are invited to hurl the new Triumph 1200 at the nastiest corner you know … If you really take it faster that you should, you may get a bit of a tyre squeal. That's all."; and what action they propose to take to prevent and punish such incitements to dangerous driving.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)My Lords, I have been informed by the Standard Triumph Company that, as this advertisement appears to have been misunderstood, they decided to withdraw it as from June 8th. Your Lordships will appreciate that Her Majesty's Government have no powers to control the terms of commercial advertisements. They hope, however, that those concerned with the sale of motor vehicles or their accessories will at all times bear in mind the importance of avoiding any form of publicity or propaganda which could be interpreted in a sense adverse to the best interests of road safety. This, my Lords, I am happy to say, generally speaking, they do.
§ LORD CONESFORDMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that this advertisement appeared on May 28, and therefore 178 it was some time before it was withdrawn? In view of the number of road accidents caused by dangerous driving, is it not quite intolerable that a great company should employ their great resources in inciting the purchasers of their cars to drive dangerously? If such an advertisement does not fall within the provisions of the criminal law, is it not urgently necessary that the law should be amended?
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether it is not necessary to have a slight sense of humour in order to read these advertisements?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, I was myself going to suggest that it was necessary to retain a sense of proportion in these matters. I myself would have hesitated Ito describe this advertisement as quite intolerable. I should have chosen, perhaps, the word "inadvisable", or even "undesirable"; but I do not think I should go to quite the same literal lengths of interpretation as has my noble friend. I think we are accustomed to a certain (shall we say?) overstatement in advertisements, and that the public as a whole tend to regard "incitements", as my noble friend called them, of this kind with a certain amount of reserve.
§ LORD CONESFORDI agree that I do not think dangerous driving very funny. Is my noble friend aware that people have been observed on the roads obeying the instruction contained in this advertisement for this particular car? And is she further aware that the company may derive great profit from this disreputable advertisement? I am advised that it makes the strongest possible appeal to nitwits, and, in the expert view of advertisers, nitwits form quite a large proportion of the purchasers of motor cars.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, I am not aware, in fact, of numbers of people in these particular motor cars having been observed doing just this thing, and I should be interested to know the sources of evidence and statistics upon which the noble Lord bases his observations. He must remember, too, I think, that there is an obverse side to this particular coin, in that good handling characteristics in a motor car, particularly as regards road holding, are an advantage to road safety.
§ LORD CONESFORDMy Lords, do I understand from that that, provided your car has good road holding qualities, it is all right to drive round a corner blindly?
§ LORD CHESHAMNo, my Lords. I think this is getting a little out of control, if I may say so, because my noble friend is insisting on taking this matter quite literally. I do not believe, however nit-witted the public may be in responding to advertisements, that a very large number are so nitwitted as to do that kind of thing and obey an alleged incitement of this kind. I think people have more sense than that. The company have apparently recognised the undesirability of this advertisement by withdrawing it, and I do not think there is very much more we need do about it.