Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
Ad Nauseam

Honda to Sleeping, Distracted and Aggressive Drivers: Don’t Sweat It.

Honda's new "We Know You" campaign includes a series of 16-second spots, presented as a medley of sorts in the ad above, which touts the safety features of the new Accord.

The Accord comes with a "drift warning" that alerts the driver when the car has entered another lane, a "forward collision warning" light that flashes and beeps when a sudden stop is required, and a "blind spot display" screen that, per Honda, facilitates quick lane changes. The gist of the ads is that attentive driving is no longer necessary -- Honda has got your back.

The most egregious, and telling, commercial of the campaign has to be "Tired You," which depicts a white collar type chugging coffee as he tries in vain to stay awake while driving on a flat, straight deserted road. When his Accord crosses the center line, the alarm sounds, the man jerks awake -- and keeps driving.

"We know you," says the voice actor, over a soothing piano track. "We know you have to rise early, and work late, with not enough sleep in between."

The core message of this campaign is that it's acceptable to drive without focusing on the task of driving. The voiceover may as well be: "Too sleepy or distracted to drive? Hey, everybody does it. But if you buy a new Honda, it's slightly less likely that you'll kill yourself, your family, or someone else's loved ones."

But will these features even bring a net safety gain? Honda has adopted the "forgiving" highways approach, and when you design to accommodate risky behavior, more will take risks. Said Streetsblog Network site Stop and Move, which brought the ads to our attention: "I wonder what the reaction would be if Honda had branded their feature as a way to drive drunk 'safely.'"

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Eyes on the Street: Road Widening in Downtown L.A.

Zombie road widening - that would be illegal for California cities to require today - still plagues downtown L.A.

March 26, 2025

Is the City’s Approach to Measure HLA Resulting in Worse Pavement Conditions on Some Streets?

The city says "Measure HLA has not affected overall citywide [pavement condition]" but some streets - ones the city put repaving on hold for HLA - seem to have a lot of potholes

March 25, 2025

Eyes on the Street – Big Dalton Bike/Walk Path is Now Open

Not the same as the one in Baldwin Park, this multi-use path (formerly the Vincent bikeway) traverses Irwindale, Covina, Azusa, and unincorporated parts between.

March 25, 2025
See all posts