Watchdog bans 'car phone' advert

A TV commercial which appeared to show a woman using a mobile phone while driving a car has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority.

The watchdog upheld complaints from 33 viewers that the LG Electronics ad was likely to encourage dangerous driving.

The advert showed the woman in a traffic jam, then a phone with a finger touching the screen.

The firm said it was not meant to imply she was using the phone in the car but imagining she could be elsewhere.

It said the intention was to show the woman imagining what more interesting things she could be doing on her mobile rather than being stuck in traffic.

It said her hands were shown on the steering wheel.

After the image of the finger touching the phone's screen, the advert switches to images of the woman in a motorboat, in a swimming pool and dancing.

But the Advertising Standards Authority upheld the viewers' complaints, saying the advert implied she was using the phone and could be seen as condoning the use of mobiles while driving.

It ruled that the commercial should not be shown again in that form.