The advertising watchdog has banned an ad by a website promising to provide the "top 10 tricks" for getting out of speeding tickets.
As part of a membership scheme providing advice and legal representation to drivers who are given tickets, the ad read: "Our top 10 tricks and loopholes to get out of any UK speeding ticket will be automatically delivered to your inbox within minutes...Tell your friends about us - but not the Traffic Police!"
The issue was brought to the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) by a reader who complained it was irresponsible for suggesting motorists can avoid prosecution for driving offences.
Drive Protect Ltd defended the advert by saying the email course offers "a legitimate means of being able to disprove or create legitimate doubt on whether or not the offence happened".
It said the advert was not irresponsible because its course offers drivers the chance to avoid prosecution when there is not enough evidence, or where evidence suggested the incident did not happen.
The ASA said: "We considered that although the ad was unlikely to encourage reckless behaviour, it could encourage some individuals to take risks they would otherwise not take because they believed that they could exceed some speed restrictions with impunity and could be seen to minimise the dangers of speeding."
Copyright Press Association 2012
