Cars and Motorbikes Index
17.1 Cars and Driving
17.2 Foreign Settings
17.3 Off-Road Sequences
17.4 Fantasy
17.5 Speed and Acceleration
17.6 Racing and Rallying
17.7 Demonstrating Safety Features
Reference to cars is deemed to include motorbikes as appropriate.
17.1 Cars and Driving
All driving which appears to take place on public roads or in public places must comply fully with both the letter and the spirit of the Highway Code. In particular, advertisements must not feature unsafe, reckless, aggressive or competitive driving, or inconsiderate or discourteous behaviour towards other road users.
17.2 Foreign Settings
Where the setting of an advertisement is clearly a foreign country, driving may comply with local regulations except where the behaviour shown might encourage dangerous emulation. Drivers and passengers should normally be seen to be wearing seat-belts, except in circumstances where the car is clearly stationary. References to, or sequences showing, driving at speeds in excess of UK limits are not acceptable.
17.3 Off-Road Sequences
It may be acceptable for advertisements to use a location which is clearly and unambiguously not a public road or other public place in order to demonstrate particular features of a vehicle when this could not be adequately done within the constraints of the Highway Code. This does not preclude for example, the responsible use of open countryside to demonstrate the capabilities of 4-wheel drive vehicles but the use of off-road locations must not be a means to circumvent the spirit of these guidelines, for example by showing aggressive or competitive driving. Where such off-road sequences can be justified, it will not be sufficient simply, for example, to indicate at the beginning of a commercial (perhaps by means of a road-side sign) that a road has been closed to the public. The location must clearly be of a type which could not be accessible to general road users.
17.4 Fantasy
Sequences which are clearly fantasy, i.e. which it would not be physically possible for drivers to emulate in real life, do not normally cause difficulties. Where, however, an advertisement features, however fancifully, driving behaviour which could be copied, or which might encourage other forms of unsafe or discourteous driving, the usual guidelines apply. Car chases, etc. are not acceptable in automotive advertising.
17.5 Speed and Acceleration
Speed is not an acceptable platform for automotive advertising and advertisements must not refer to top speed capabilities in excess of UK speed limits nor suggest or imply that speed limits may be exceeded. Nor may advertising present driving as exciting or exhilarating, or portray driving as if it were a competitive sport. Impressions of wild excitement may not be conveyed in the visuals of driving or in voice over and accompanying sound effects or music. Conversely, there must be no suggestion that driving safely or cautiously is staid, dull or boring. References to acceleration and power should be made only in a safety context and should not be phrased in an emotive way (e.g. by the use of phrases such as "fast driving" or "high powered"). Suggestions that a vehicle or automotive product is to be preferred solely or mainly because of superior or improved power are not acceptable.
17.6 Racing and Rallying
Sequences of motor racing or off-road rallying are acceptable provided they are clearly established as such, but must not be used to circumvent the spirit of these guidelines. Vehicles featured in such sequences should normally be in racing livery and there should be no suggestion that standard production vehicles might be suitable for racing or rallying or might be driven in a competitive way. Therefore sequences such as “morphing” a rally car into a standard production are unlikely to be acceptable. Suggestions that competitive sport has been used in the development of increased power or speed of vehicles (e.g. "Race-bred engines") are not acceptable. It is, however, acceptable to refer to other characteristics, e.g. reliability, in this context.
17.7 Demonstrating Safety Features
When some special feature, such as anti-lock brakes or superior manoeuvrability, is to be demonstrated, any sudden stop or manoeuvre should not be made necessary by a featured vehicle either travelling at a speed inappropriate to the circumstances or being driven in a careless or inconsiderate way. Whilst the relative benefits of a safety feature may be claimed, there must be no suggestion that a vehicle's safety features enable it to be driven in complete safety or with total confidence in any particular circumstances, or to be driven faster or with less care than would otherwise be the case.