THE ADVERTISING STANDARDS Authority has said that a controversial road safety ad is outside its remit.

A recent campaign by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) targeting young men was described as “insensitive”, “misguided” and “ableist” by campaign groups and disability rights activists.

The ad features a young man who has been disqualified from driving and states “when you lose your licence, you become reliant on other people to take you where you need to go and you become a burden for others”.

The Advertising Standards Authority received three complaints about the ad, but said it is not within its remit to act as “no commercial element” is involved. The campaign is instead “expressing the opinion on an issue of public interest”.

The RSA told The Journal “the campaign is aimed at tackling dangerous driving behaviours, particularly among younger male drivers”.

They added that the campaign was developed following feedback from focus groups with young drivers earlier this year.

Non-profit disability activists Access For All Ireland said in a lot of cases a car is the only option for people with disabilities “due to bad infrastructure and the lack of accessible inclusive public transport”, saying RSA should be “mindful of that when using ableist imagery and language in a national campaign”.

In a statement today, the Advertising Standards Authority said it has received three complaints about the ad.

“However, this campaign from the RSA is out of remit as there is no commercial element to it.

“Essentially, it is advertising that is expressing the opinion on an issue of public interest or concern as per Section 2.3f of the ASA Code.

“The Code does not apply to: Marketing communications whose principal purpose is to express the advertiser’s position on a political, religious, industrial relations, social or aesthetic matter or on an issue of public interest or concern.”