A few weeks ago, I woke up to CHOM 97.7, as always, and heard the following commercial:
Man: Pete didn’t take into account his low blood sugar caused by his diabetes. He didn’t take into account the fact that he forgot to measure his blood sugar level. He didn’t take into account the fact that he’s at the wheel of his car. He didn’t take into account the fact that he could lose consciousness while driving. He didn’t take into account the fact that he could drive right off the shoulder and flip his vehicle.
Woman: If you don’t take it into account, your health condition could cause an accident, regardless of your age. A message from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec.
“Huh, what a weird ad,” I thought. “I’m not sure what its point is…”
I didn’t think about it more than this, until I heard another one a few days later:
Man: Jill didn’t take into account her doctor’s recommendations for controlling her epilepsy. She didn’t take into account the fact that she forgot to take her medication. She didn’t take into account the fact that she’s at the wheel of her car. She didn’t take into account the fact that she could have a seizure on the road. She didn’t take into account the fact that she could lose control, cross the intersection and hit a pedestrian.
It felt like they were saying people with epilepsy (and diabetes) shouldn’t be allowed to drive because they might cause an accident? But no, that can’t actually be the message here, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) couldn’t be that callous, there must be something I’m missing. So I looked up the campaign’s webpage, and… I am still not at all clear on what the ads are trying to say.
The only part of the page that looks like maybe it’s trying to have a point is where it says that drivers should declare all health conditions to the SAAQ. Although how their knowing someone is epileptic is supposed to prevent said epileptic person from having a seizure behind the wheel, I have no idea.
It really feels as if they created this campaign without having a clear idea of its point and its message, and released it without having thought it through. Therefore, I go back to my original question: are they saying people with health conditions shouldn’t drive because their condition might someday cause an accident? Because if that is what they’re saying, even accidentally, it’s terrible.
For many disabled people, the ability to drive is a lifeline. People in and around Montreal know how poorly accessible our public transit system is (it’s just not), and winter and snow just make everything a million times worse. My car and my indoor garage are the only reasons I’m not housebound. I’m sure ableds would tell me to get rides or take a cab, but, first of all, I’m not a millionaire, I can’t just call a taxi every time I want to leave the house, and second of all I don’t always have someone around me who can answer my every need. And more to the point, I don’t want to. I’d much rather be as independent as I can than feel like a burden to everybody around me.
Sure, the ad campaign only specifically mentions epilepsy, diabetes and sleep apnea, but it’s hard not to expand the message to all health conditions, and include in them all disabilities. A 2014 study by the Institut de la statistique du Québec revealed that nearly half of all Quebecers—approximately 3.2 million people—have a chronic health condition. Would the SAAQ like for us all to give up our driver’s licenses because we have a potentially higher likelihood of maybe causing an accident someday? I mean, I guess that’s one way to fix the problems of traffic congestion in Montreal…
I see on the SAAQ’s website that all their campaigns get remade and relaunched once a year. The “Health of Drivers” campaign was in its first edition in 2019, and I dearly hope we won’t have to hear it again in 2020.
If you don’t take it into account, your ableism could cause great prejudice and annoyance for disabled people, regardless of who you are.
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