Video: How 2016 BMW 340i encourages dangerous driving

BMW says the 2016 340i is made for the curves, but three UK viewers of a BMW 340i TV spot say it encourages dangerous driving and were able to get the ad pulled from UK TV. The ad that was banned in the UK shows a new BMW 340i being driven around a coastal road and in the curves. The driver is definitely enjoying his new ride and pushes the 3 Series hard through the corners.

The TV spot shows a roller coaster and a diver getting ready to jump off a cliff. Riding a roller coaster is not necessarily taking a huge risk, but diving off a cliff into the ocean is. In the ad, BMW says, "Curves inspire you and definitely dare you. And the new BMW 3 Series was made for every one of them."

This ad got three people in the UK riled up and they were able to get the Advertising Standards Authority to pull the TV spot. The ASA agreed and said the 3 Series ad gave the "impression that the car depicted was being driven along the winding coastal road at considerable speed."

The ASA report went on to say that BMW had not clearly communicated the handling capability of the new 340i in the context of safety which is a requirement of the Code of the ASA. The ASA told BMW that future ads “Must not demonstrate the handling characteristic of a vehicle except in a clear context of safety, and that reference to this must not suggest excitement, aggression or competitiveness."

The ASA thinks that the ad challenged viewers to drive at high speeds around corners and that it “encouraged irresponsible and potentially dangerous driving.” We think that the ad shows exactly what performance enthusiasts are looking for in a sports sedan and that the new 2016 BMW 340i dials up the fun-to-drive meter. The driver takes his new 340i out to a secluded coastal highway and enjoys the upgraded suspension. He’s not driving aggressively on a city street. Do you think the ad should have been pulled?

Watch the banned ad below.

Media source: ASA