From Animal Defenders of Westchester (ADOW)

We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts.

Selling Speed

Letter as published on NYDailyNews.com
April 27, 2024

Why does almost every TV car ad feature how fast they can go? They lovingly show speedometers blasting up to 100 mpg, gravel flying and gears grinding as cars race down city streets and country roads. Meanwhile people’s and animal’s broken bodies are crushed and habitats are destroyed, all to appeal to a child’s version of driving. One ad even superimposes a child gleefully driving like this, in case there’s any doubt about what the ads are appealing to. But we’re not children.

Meanwhile, there is a fatal hit-and-run each week. Children are also the victims of merciless speeding drivers. Where is the truth in advertising? Cigarettes and liquor must by law have “danger” labels; cigarette ads have been banned on TV and liquor ads strongly curtailed, yet the automotive industry gets rich by promoting its product’s lethal capability proudly, with more cars than ever on the road.

Kiley Blackman

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