Mazda BT-50

When: Sept/October
Where: Channel 9

A Mazda BT-50 ute stops outside an apartment and honks it's horn to signal it's arrival to the occupant inside. A female occupant appears from an upper level window and waves.

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This advertisement should be withdrawn, or modified to remove the honking sound, because it is unlawful use of a car horn, violating Australian Road Rule 224. It promotes the idea that using a car horn as a substitute for a doorbell is lawful, harmless and acceptable behaviour - when it is really none of those. It contributes to a culture of careless honking, which harms the peace, health, productivity and social cohesion of roadside areas. An escalation of careless honking also de-sensitises people to the sound of car horns and diminishes it's function as a warning device.

Australian Road Rule 224, as stated by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority says:

"224 USING HORNS AND SIMILAR WARNING DEVICES

A driver must not use, or allow to be used, a horn, or similar warning device, fitted to or in the driver's vehicle unless:

(a) it is necessary to use the horn, or warning device, to warn other road users or animals of the approach or position of the vehicle; or

(b) the horn, or warning device, is being used as part of an anti-theft device fitted to the vehicle."

(www.rta.nsw.gov.au/trafficinformation/downloads/p133.pdf)

Violation of this rule attracts a $225 fine:

"HORNS/WARNING DEVICES Rule 224. Use/allow use of horn/warning device unnecessarily.. $231"

(http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/resources/documents/0507_demerits_general.pdf)

According to section 1.1 of the AANA Advertiser Code of Ethics: "Advertisements shall comply with Commonwealth law and the law of the relevant State or Territory".

This is a clear breach of ethics.

Careless honking is already a source of annoyance to neighbourhoods, a trend that will increase with ads such as this. Firing of noise into surrounding areas without regard to whom it hurts is a rude and disruptive invasion into homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals, etc. Encouraging such abusive behaviour is not justified to sell cars.

A car horn is a warning device for times of danger or emergency. A child can tell you the results of abusing warning signals: the boy who cried wolf. This ad will encourage horns to be abused and thus diminish to horn's effectiveness as a safety device.

As stated by the NSW Department of Environment:

"Horns should be used as traffic warning devices only and not as a means of relieving driver stress or frustration."

(http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/noise/vehiclenoise.htm)

Noise pollution is harmful to health and contributes to mental and physical problems. Noise is particularly harmful to sections of the community who have reduced tolerance for noise, for example, the elderly, those weakened with health problems, the mentally ill, a young mother trying to calm a baby, a war veteran with post traumatic stress disorder for whom noise triggers shock reactions, those suffering from hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to noise), those with sleep-disorders, or those simply experiencing stress from some life event. Careless honking can be detrimental to the lives of vulnerable people.

Noise is proven to reduce productivity in places of work and study.

Noise is proven to promote aggressive and anti-social behaviour in it's victims.

This ad encourages illegal behaviour. It should be removed on legal, health, safety, productivity, and social cohesion grounds.