Advises the industry to use its Road Safety Ready Reckoner to avoid ASCI towing away ads
BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | June 27, 2016
In a recent development, the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety advised the government and industry stakeholders to work out a mechanism so that only advertisements conforming to safe road practices are released.
Due to the rising concern on the depiction of rash, negligent and dangerous driving in various advertisements on TV channels and print media, the Committee directed The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Press Council of India (PCI) to work with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), on eradicating the issue. MIB also suggested that a preventive action is more appropriate so that advertisements depicting violation of traffic rules are not aired.
Currently there is no pre-censorship of advertisements and we believe that this would never be needed if industry members demonstrate responsible advertising by adhering to Self-Regulation of the advertising content. The Supreme Court Committee complimented ASCI on its work and suggested that the industry members may be educated about ASCI Self-Regulation code.
Advertisements have a significant influence on people’s behaviour. As such, advertisers are encouraged to depict advertisements, in a manner which promote safe practices.
Advertisers shall not, without justifiable reason, show or refer to dangerous practices or manifest a disregard for safety or encourage negligence. They should contain nothing which in in breach of the law, nor omit anything which the law requires.
In order to better depict road safety ads, ASCI advises the industry to use its Road Safety Ready Reckoner to avoid ASCI towing away ads.
Ready Reckoner Link: http://ascionline.org/images/pdf/asci_code_new.pdf
