Germany’s Attempt To Increase Helmet Usage Is Leading To Claims Of Sexism

Government agencies have been known to get creative when it comes to advocating safety. While this normally involves shocking or entertaining videos, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) has gone in a different direction.

As part of an effort to promote the use of helmets by cyclists, the BMVI has launched a new campaign which is raising eyebrows and causing plenty of controversy.

This is pretty understandable as the campaign features young men and women in their underwear. If that wasn’t provocative enough, the tagline is “Looks like shit. But saves my life.”

Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer tried to explain the edgy campaign by noting more than half of young cyclists say they never or rarely wear a helmet because they’re not cool. As a result, they came up with the idea of “Looks like shit. But saves my life.”

The message is pretty blunt and it’s aimed at cyclists between the ages of 17 and 30. More than 40 percent of cyclists in this age group don’t even own a helmet.

Posters for the campaign will be featured in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. The BMVI is also pushing the message on social media with the #HelmerettenLeben hashtag.

While the campaign is trying to save lives, the decision to use scantily clad models and vulgar language hasn’t gone over well with everyone. Passauer Neue Presse reports the deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Katja Mast, said the campaign is “embarrassing, stale and sexist.” She went on to say tax dollars shouldn’t be used to put “half-naked women and men” on billboards.

DW News talked to several people on the streets of Berlin and many weren’t impressed by the campaign. One person described the slogan as “incorrect” and said the “visuals just make it worse.” Others suggested there was no need for the scantily clad models.