After cross-party and civil society criticism last week of its new “Lose Your Licence, Lose Your Independence” campaign, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has doubled down with the release of a video which outlines the message that people who don’t drive are a “burden for others”.
Around 20-25% of adults in Ireland do not hold a driver’s license, a mixture of choice and not being able to drive for medical reasons, while it’s Government policy to promote sustainable transport and carpooling.
The campaign video includes a gag about a young man getting a lift with his friend, a date, and their mother.
The video has resulted in the RSA being accused by the public, politicians and campaigns of being “tone deaf”, out of touch with policy on sustainable transport and promoting car sharing, and being insensitive to those who are unable to drive due to medical reasons.
According to the RSA’s own website, medical reasons for not being able to drive are wide-ranging, including having epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, any condition affecting your peripheral vision, a total loss of sight in one eye, diabetes treated by insulin and or sulphonylurea tables, and sleeping and other disorders resulting in blacking out or sleeping uncontrollably.
The launch of the “Lose Your Licence, Lose Your Independence” last week at Electric Picnic prompted criticism from politicians on opposite ends of the political spectrum and from campaigners.
Ciaran Cannon, a Fine Gael TD for Galway, said: “In the eyes of @RSAIreland, you’re no longer a fully independent young person if you can’t drive a car.”
He said: “Truly disappointing messaging, but at least consistent in being unable to see the world from any other perspective.”
Paul Murphy, a People Before Profit TD, said: “RSA not fit for purpose example 248. An organisation dedicated to road safety should not be promoting the myth that you can only be independent by owning a car.”
Cllr Oliver Moran, a Green councillor based in Cork City, said: “Children aren’t safe walking alone to their friends house to play because of the risk from motorists, but it’s motoring that’s ‘freedom’. The sooner these guys are wound up the better.”
Along with the video, the RSA tweeted today tweeted: “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. If you get caught drink or drug driving, you will be disqualified.”
Responding today, Cllr Feljin Jose, a Dublin-based Green councillor, said: “There are a million different ways to talk about drink driving without saying people who don’t or can’t drive are a burden on others. Unbelievable.”
Cllr Cat O’ Driscoll, a Social Democrats councillor in Dublin said: “I apologise for being such a burden for not having a licence. Apologies to my bike, the bus, the luas, the train, the footpaths I use to get around independently everyday.”
Better Ennis, a campaign group based in Co Clare, said: “At what point does the @RSAIreland actually encourage modal shift to healthier and sustainable modes of transport, the result of which will be less risk of collision, fewer injuries and deaths? Their new ad pushes the opposite.”
Dave Tobin, deputy chair of the Irish Cycling Campaign, said: “The RSA are attempting to shame people towards car ownership to fill their coffers. It’s not road safety education nor is it supporting modal shift – two key metrics in their own road safety strategy.”
Referring to plans to break up the RSA, he added: “I don’t believe there’s any salvaging the RSA.”
I Bike Dublin, a campaign group based in Dublin, said: “We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. Reform cannot come soon enough for @RSAIreland.”
They added: “This sort of car-centric thinking illustrates very clearly the need to radically restructure the organisation and break the links with the motor sales industry.”
Updated:This article was updated with further reaction.
.
This website is reader-funded journalism. It won't survive without your help. IrishCycle covers more than just cycling, and with over 917,000 views so far this year, it's not just "avid cyclists" who read the articles, but if you want it to keep going, more support is needed from readers like you. IrishCycle's future depends on you joining the 400 current subscribers.
Thank you,
Cian Ginty
Editor, IrishCycle.com
Good article on the RSA Cian.
Can we not see the positive that ads like this will likely reduce drink driving in young people, it makes them see the consequences of their actions, along with how it will impact their day to day life.
The messaging is good, anything that reduces rates of drink driving is a positive, this is arguably going to go down as one of the most effective anti-drink driving ads the RSA has ever published and that perspective is coming from a 20 year old who drives (essentially their target audience with this ad).
Really, do cyclists think the whole world revolves around them. This is an ad campaign to try and steer people away from driving while under the influence. A bicycle is not always an alternative. I cycle for exercise and it’s great, but for my work I need my car, firstly to get there and secondly to transport the materials that I use in my work. Get over yourselves.
Hi Eamonn, she you say cyclists think the world world revolves around them and then you say you cycle, that must mean you think the world revolves around you?
Nobody has said a bicycle is always an alternative and nobody asked you anything about what why you drive, yet here you are offering up that information in reply to something nobody said.
Are you sure it’s not you who seems to get offended very easily?
Of course if you bothered to get over yourself and actually read the article you’d find it’s more than just “cyclists” who have given out about the ad campaign. Here’s more on that:
Irish road safety advert labeled as “ableist” for saying people who don’t drive are a “burden for others” https://irishcycle.com/2024/08/20/irish-road-safety-advert-labeled-as-ableist-for-saying-people-who-dont-drive-are-a-burden-for-others/
I get the message RSA is trying to send out.
Government policies over the last few decades have really made our society very car dependent/car centric. The fact that we associate freedom and independence with owning and driving a car is a sad state of affairs. A young person has a major noose around the neck with high insurance/motor tax , servicing NCT plus the cost of fuel etc etc. Getting a car is automatic default mode for many young folk. A robust public transport infrastructure with plenty bus drivers and bus lanes and god forbid a light metro in places like cork city.
And yes more cycle lanes/footpaths to give people at least a choice to travel from a to b.