Car advertisements in Brazil must carry safety messages

Brazil’s National Traffic Department has announced the going into force of last year’s amendment to the Brazilian Traffic Code, which mandates that all auto industry advertisements carry safety messages. According to the new regulation, every radio, television, newspaper, magazine, or billboard advertisement related to cars must carry short educational sentences suggested by the government, such as “comply with traffic signals”, “perform car maintenance checks regularly”, “seat belts can save lives”, “in traffic we are all pedestrians”, “transport children safely in safety seats”.Source: National Traffic Council issues norms for traffic safety messages [portuguese].  http://www.denatran.gov.br/ultimas/20100618_veiculacao_educacao.htm. Accessed: Aug 7, 2010.

Car bumper lights denounce unrestrained passengers

A Brazilian local newspaper reported that some people in Brazil’s National Traffic Department are trying to pass a new rule mandating that all new cars be equipped with five lights  on rear and front bumpers that would indicate how many passengers had their seat belts fastened, which would supposedly facilitate monitoring the use of that safety device by the police.

Interestingly, this proposal was fostered by statistics that show that nearly 30% of passengers rarely or never wear seat belt in front seats and the number for back seat occupants.

Ed.Note: Most experts consider the idea pointless, says Danilo Blank but I disagree; I think the idea may prove to be a good one.