RSA chair could see how ad 'offensive' to non drivers

The chairperson of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) told staff that she could see how a controversial TV ad campaign would be offensive to people who do not drive, but said it should not be withdrawn from television.

Liz O'Donnell told colleagues in internal emails that the campaign entitled "Lose Your Licence, Lose Your Independence" appeared to have "affronted" and "offended a few different groups".

However, she said withdrawing the advert may cause greater controversy, and be seen as a waste of public money, when it was "not a good time for the RSA to be in a controversial space".

An RSA director said a controversy over the campaign was "being framed by silly season coverage and isn’t likely to last".

The RSA emails were released to RTÉ’s This Week programme under the Freedom of Information Act.

The ad campaign, which depicted a male disqualified driver being carried around by friends and family, aimed to show how a driver who has lost their licence can become dependent on the people around them for transport.

However, it was strongly criticised by groups representing people with health conditions, by cyclists and by some politicians.

Epilepsy Ireland described the campaign as "deeply insensitive" and wrote to the RSA’s Chief Executive Sam Waide complaining that the ad campaign suggested that those unable to drive were a burden to others.

The Irish Cycling Campaign, which has thousands of members, described the ad as being outright insensitive.

And Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan said the ad was "ableist, offensive and car brain nonsense".

She said: "people who cannot, or do not drive, are not a burden."

Offended and affronted

In an email to the RSA’s Director of Partnerships and External Affairs Sarah O’Connor, the organisation’s chair Liz O’Donnell said: "I can see myself how it would be offensive to those who, for whatever reason, do not drive a car and feel the ad has a cultural bias which is pro car. Also a suggestion that your life is 'over’ or totally dependent on others unless you have a car."

"Those who support active travel and public transport also are affronted."

She said it was clearly not the RSA’s intention to offend, but: "it shows how when focussing or targeting one group of road users, one can inadvertently offend another group. It is a ‘category mistake’.

"Thus in this instance we appear to have offended a few different groups," she said.

Nuclear option

She described withdrawing the ad as the "nuclear option" which she believed "may be a cause of greater controversy, given the high production costs and media buying".

Ms O’Donnell’s RSA colleague Ms O’Connor said there was "no indication of political concern about the advert" and that there was a "consistent message across the board that this discussion is being framed by silly season coverage and isn't likely to last".

In reply, Ms O’Donnell said she was "gratified to learn" that the Department of Transport was "OK" with the advert, adding that "this is not a good time for the RSA to be in a controversial space".

The Road Safety Authority’s Chairperson proposed looking at the pros and cons of editing the ad in some way, but not to pull it from television.

"It would be seen as a waste of public money to pull it because of media criticism," she wrote.

Despite the RSA Chair’s acceptance that the advert could be seen as offensive, the campaign continued to run on radio and television during the months of August and September.

It is still available on the RSA’s social media channels and on the Road Safety Authority website.