KIA V6 Carnival

Product: KIA V6 Carnival

When/Where: TV Channel 9, Sydney, 19/3/06

Describe the Ad:

A woman is sleeping on a lounge chair. A man comes up from behind to surprise her. He holds an aerosol air-horn close to her head and presses the button to sound the horn. The woman convulses in shock and chases after the man. The ad concludes: "wake up to great deals from KIA".

Complaint:

This advertisement should be withdrawn because it is dangerous to blast an air-horn close to a person's ear. It could permanently damage hearing and cause psychological trauma.

Aerosol air-horns are readily available to the public through safety and sports stores. They easily find their way to young people's hands.

An Australian company, Kids Showbags, sells air-horns. They supply school fetes. Their air-horn product contains the warning:

"Blasts extremely loud, Up to 200 Blasts! ... Not suitable for use by young children, direct misuse of this product can cause damage to your hearing. Point away from ears. ... Even the very deaf will hear you will this!"
http://www.kidsshowbags.com.au/prod105.htm

The man in the KIA ad pointed the air-horn directly at the woman's ear, only 1 to 2 feet away. This is a dangerous example and contravenes safety procedures with air-horns.

A typical air-horn available in Australia is the EcoBlast, which emits 120 decibels. (http://www.bigsafety.com.au/category226_1.htm)

The EcoBlast carries the warning:

"WARNING! Air horns are designated as dangerous goods and require special delivery procedures due to security and safety issues" (http://www.hartsport.com.au/catalogue/coaching_a.pdf)

Compare 120 decibels with the following standards:

Minesafe Australia:
"No person should be subjected to a noise level greater than 115 dB(A)."
http://www.minesafe.org/health_safety/noise.html

Community and Public Sector Union:
"In June National Occupational Health and Safety Commission issued a revised Code Of Practice dealing with noise levels in the workplace. They recommend a ... maximum peak exposure of 140 decibels. 120 Decibels is considered to be the pain thresh hold. Beyond these levels ear damage and hearing loss will occur." (http://www.cpsu.org.au/news/1097021065_16643.html)

American National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders:
"110 Decibels. Regular exposure of more than 1 minute risks permanent hearing loss." (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/ruler.asp)

Dangerous Decibels:
"Exposure to harmful sounds causes damage to the sensitive hair cells of the inner ear and to the nerve of hearing. These structures can be injured by noise in two different ways: from an intense brief impulse ... or from continuous exposure to noise." (http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/faq.cfm#3)

Kim Barry, Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.):
"> A friend of mine would drive by and blow an airhorn at people
> on the sidewalk. With the combination of moving at a fast rate and
> distance from the person, would any hearing damage result from the
> airhorn? If so would it be temporary or permanent? He is afrait that
> someone may sue him as a result of such a "prank."

It depends on the instensity level of the airhorn (how loud it is) and how far away from the person. It is possible that permanent damage could occur. He needs to stop this behavior immediately!" (http://www.audiologyawareness.com/hhelp/qna/archive/index.cgi?read=6962)


Clearly an air-horn blasting 120 decibels close to an ear is dangerous. A kid could easily expose themselves or someone else to more than 1 minute per day, which is capable of causing permanent damage.

Young people are famous for leaning out of car windows and shouting at pedestrians just for shock value. Now that air-horns are being sanctioned for shock value you can bet that drive-by air-horning will become common. Little old ladies walking down the street - fair game. Hearing loss, heart attack, fell over and broke a hip. All these we can look forward to.

I have already noticed this year the presence of annoying aerosol air-horns at football games. Not only do they disturb other spectators but I have heard them used to distract opposition players.

Take this example from America of a live TV news reporter being assaulted with an air-horn just for shock value. This is the sort of stupidity this KIA ad will encourage:

"On the morning of December 6, 2005, a fan apparently went too far. Attempting an AOTM, an O&A fan sounded an air horn during an NYC TV station's live news remote in New Jersey. Ocean Township police questioned the man, whom they would not identify, but no charges were filed; however the man faces a possible assault charge if the WABC-TV reporter, Anthony Johnson, suffered critical hearing damage.

Following the harassment, Acting Governor Richard J. Codey issued the following statement: "Encouraging fans to intervene in live news shots is inappropriate and dangerous. Today a fan sounded an air horn in a reporter's ear and this action may result in permanent hearing damage for the reporter who was harassed. Reporters are professionals who provide a great service to the public by delivering news. They should be treated with respect and not antagonized as part of a radio show gag. I won't tolerate anything less in our state. The person who committed this act should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I wish Mr. Johnson a speedy and healthy recovery." "(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opie_and_Anthony)

If the board sanctions this ad, that is the sort of assault the public can look forward to.

The use of the air-horn in this ad could be deemed an assault.

This ad sets a dangerous example.

This ad should be withdrawn on health and safety grounds.