VIDEO: This shocking Northern Irish Road Safety ad has gone viral
We're going to be able to listen to 'Sweet Child o' Mine' again after watching this.
An acoustic version of the classic Guns and Roses song accompanies the brutal Northern Irish DOE Road Safety ad - titled 'Classroom' - that has been banned from being shown on TV before 9pm.
The aim of the one-minute advert is to drive home the fact that 28 children - the same number as an average classroom - have been killed as a result of speeding on Northern Irish roads since 2000. The video shows a driver speeding along a road before his car flips and lands on a group of children enjoying a picnic.
Some have criticized the advert for its slightly ridiculous CGI and excessive horror. The video has received a lot of attention on Reddit where it was posted with the caption "The Irish don't f**k around with their adverts...".
People also gave their opinions on Twitter. While reactions were mixed, there was one thing everyone could agree on - the ad is one tough watch.
OMG - Shocking no wonder it's not aired before 9pm Car kills classroom of kids in brutal road safety ad http://t.co/vD5hctFREe
— Julie keen (@julie_keen1) June 23, 2014
Watching Irish road saftey adverts make me never want to drive or be in/near a car or even have a picnic in a forest near a road #DOE
— Alex Howard (@Alexhowarddd) June 23, 2014
Love the new #DOE road safety commercial! I know ppl who should watch it before driving on one lane road between Tipp and Cork #construction
— Ming the Merciless (@stanleymwc) June 23, 2014
In a statement, Northern Irish Road Safety minister Mark Durkan defended the ad, saying:
"The aim of this campaign is to challenge and dispel, once and for all, through this emotional and uncomfortable message, the false perceptions that many road users have as to the truly horrifying consequences of speeding."
This isn't the first time the DOE have released a brutal road safety ad. Remember this one? We still can't watch it.
But, hey, if the tough-to-watch ads even contribute to saving one life on our roads, then it's completely worth it.
