Currently reading: THINK! ads banned before 9pm
Government safety campaign too graphic to screen before the watershed

New government road safety adverts meant to shock people into wearing seatbelts have been banned before the watershed. The £2.6 million THINK! ad campaign shows a computer-generated sequence of the potentially fatal damage to internal organs that can occur in a crash if a driver or passenger fails to wear their seatbelt.Advertising regulators deemed the ad too graphic and violent to be shown before 9pm. “I hope this hard-hitting new campaign will help everyone realise that they are risking their life whenever they get in a car and don't put their seat belt on,” said road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick.

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jerry99 7 November 2008

Re: THINK! ads banned before 9pm

Is the ban not missing the point. In my experience it is the young who need this message most. I have to work hard to get my children to belt up and its these kind of ads that help get that message home.

The Spanish ran some adds a few years ago that explained the risks in terms of secondary school physics and these seemed quite efefctive to me.

What about coaches?. I regularly take the coach to London and depsite the drivers pep talk I am one of only a handfull that puts the belt on.

TegTypeR 6 November 2008

Re: THINK! ads banned before 9pm

I wasn't aware the seat belt issue was so bad.

Personally, I think they should do a "Think" ad campaign on the subject of people keeping to the left lane on the motorway / dual carriage ways.

I am sure this is a bigger safety problem at the moment than seat belts, especially if any journey I've done on a multi carriageway road is anything to go by. Not only would it prevent accidents, it would also ease congestion by aiding traffic flow.