A commercial for the flagship Toyota GR Yaris Rallye is lucky to have avoided a ban in Australia after a complaint suggested it encouraged drivers to speed on public roads.
The advertisement shows the rally-bred hot hatch powersliding across a dirt field with Australian rally driver Harry Bates behind the wheel. In the final few seconds of the commercial the car is shown exiting the dirt road and driving onto a public road.
Car Expert reports that a complaint about the commercial was made to the local Ad Standards Community Panel, claiming that “this type of driving doesn’t make legends it makes dead people.”
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Toyota quickly responded to the complaint saying the ad doesn’t breach any industry codes.
“The Advertisement shows regular Toyota vehicles being driven safely and in compliance with all applicable road rules and regulations,” Toyota said. “Toyota confirms that the vehicles were being driven within the legal speed limit and were closely monitored at all times during filming. It is clear that the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver is engaging in motorsport activities. Accordingly, he takes the necessary safety precautions such as wearing a helmet and seatbelt, and at all times is in full control of the motor vehicle.”
The Ad Standards Community Panel concluded that the driving scenes of the car off-road were not unsafe.
This ruling comes less than two months after a separate ad for the Toyota Yaris range was pulled from screens in Australia. In that commercial, a GR Yaris was shown breaking traction while leaving a garage, constituting “unsafe driving.”