Ofcom receives 21 complaints about Top Gear crash joke

by Alex Donohue, Brand Republic 30-Jan-07, 13:35

LONDON - Broadcast watchdog Ofcom has received more than 20 complaints about comments made by 'Top Gear' presenter Jeremy Clarkson about fellow presenter Richard Hammond's high-speed jet car crash, which has attracted widespread criticism from UK road safety groups.

The Sunday night episode, which marked the beginning of the programme's new series and was the first to feature Hammond since his accident, featured footage of his 288mph jet car crash at a Yorkshire airfield in September.

After the crash clip was shown, Clarkson grinned and pointed at Hammond and made an ironic comment that "speed kills", which some motoring groups have condemned as making light of the seriousness of his co-presenter's injuries after his accident. The comment has lead to 21 complaints being logged by the media regulator.

Dianne Ferreira, communications officer at road safety charity Brake, said: "Jeremy Clarkson said, 'speed kills' and then pointed at Richard Hammond as if to say 'speed doesn't kill'.

"This glamorised speeding. The programme is watched by impressionable young people, many of whom have just passed their tests and they are mad about cars.

"They are easily influenced and remarks like that are very irresponsible and could tempt them to speed."

Some groups have also criticised the timing of Clarkson's comments, which came the same weekend 14 people died on UK roads.

However, the BBC has defended Clarkson's remarks, with a spokesperson for the corporation saying: "Jeremy Clarkson did not say it was untrue that speed kills.

"On the contrary, he made the statement without qualification, and allowed viewers to draw their own conclusions from an item which could not have been a clearer illustration of the dangers as well as the excitement of speed."

'Top Gear' also drew attention to the reaction made by the studio audience after Clarkson made his comment, which included laughter that it said showed "the audience was determined to celebrate Richard's inner strength and survival, in keeping with the spirit of the programme".

Footage of the crash helped 'Top Gear' beat the final of 'Celebrity Big Brother' to pull in 7.9m viewers on Sunday night, eclipsing the climax of Channel 4's series, which recorded a peak audience of 7.3m viewers.

Pic: BBC

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