Last updated: August 2010 

Ongoing concern about road safety makes it necessary to ensure that motor vehicles are not marketed or advertised in ways which might, however unintentionally, encourage inappropriate attitudes or lead to careless, inconsiderate or dangerous driving. More recently, concerns about climate change and global warming have led to increased interest in, and marketing claims about, such matters as fuel economy and CO₂ emissions.

Self-regulatory rules

Motor vehicle advertising and road safety

The advertising industry’s awareness of its responsibility is reflected in the self-regulatory codes governing the advertising of motor vehicles. The ICC Code has as one of its basic principles that advertising should be prepared with a due sense of social responsibility; the Code is applied in the spirit as well as to the letter and governs all forms of advertising, including that for motor vehicles. All EASA member SROs apply the principles of the Code and many national codes also contain specific provisions relating to the advertising of motor vehicles, often negotiated with national motor industry associations and then administered by the national SRO. Typically, these detailed rules cover such areas as:

• avoiding the portrayal or encouragement of unsafe, inconsiderate or aggressive driving practices;

• avoiding advertising messages based on speed, performance and acceleration;

• not presenting technical advances and safety features in ways which might encourage a false sense of security and lead to dangerous and irresponsible driving;

• respect for the environment;

• making clear, where appropriate, that demonstration sequences take place on a test track and not the public highway;

• strict observance of relevant laws, good safety practice and the highway code.

Other SROs prefer to rely on the general provisions of their codes relating to issues such as safety and social responsibility.

CO₂ emissions

While there is no specific code on emissions, the ICC Code has specific rules related to environmental claims and the truthfulness of all such statements. Download the ICC Code here.

Levels of complaints

Advertisements for motor vehicles have over the last few years accounted for between 1 and 2% of total complaints received by SROs at national level. In 2003, complaints dropped to 0.4% of the total. Since 2003 complaints have increased somewhat, with a peak of 2.8% in 2004, decreasing again to 1.7% in 2005. The great majority of such complaints originated in the UK.

Further information 

Motor vehicle advertising and road safety

In 1993 the European Commission published a communication for an action plan on road safety, and in the same year convened a working group consisting of representatives of the industry, NGOs and Member States, to address the issue of motor vehicle advertising in the context of road safety and emphasising the industry’s responsibility in this area. In 1997 the Commission, during the UK Presidency, recommended that rules on road safety in advertisements, similar to those already in place in the UK, be introduced by national self-regulatory bodies across the EU.

CO₂ emissions

The Directive on Consumer Information in the Marketing of New Cars (1999/94/EC)28 states that information about CO2 emission levels and fuel economy must be displayed at the point of sale and in promotional literature for passenger cars. Early in 2007, the Commission announced, in a Review of its CO2 Policy, that an updated proposal for this Directive could be expected in the second half of 2007 and asked the motor industry to agree on a code of conduct for the marketing and advertising of passenger cars.

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