US 'Don't Jerk And Drive' tossed after message is ridiculed

South Dakota's latest safe driving campaign is to be pulled after warning drivers about the dangers of jerking while driving.

The public service campaign's slogan "Don't jerk and drive" was designed to encourage safe driving on South Dakota's winter roads, by encouraging gentle movements of the steering wheel.

But the unfortunate double entendre has meant the campaign's hashtag – #DontJerkAndDrive – spread across social media, for the wrong reasons.

Defending the campaign Micah Aberson, vice president at the advertising firm Lawrence & Schiller which created the campaign, told local media he hopes people "keep their cars out of the ditch and their mind out of the gutter".

Aberson said, "We built the campaign theme and the hashtag to build on the equity that's in the 'don't drink and drive' campaign message."

"If I overreact or jerk the steering wheel, trying to make my way back onto the roadway, that's a dangerous activity that could result in a fatality," Aberson explained.

"Just within a week of running, we've had 20,000 plus Twitter impressions. Our engagement levels on Twitter are two and three times the industry average," said Aberson.

Alberta, Canada, seemed to have avoided the same level of attention after launching its own, innuendo-packed, anti-driver distraction campaign, "Crotches Kill".

The campaign was aimed at warning people about the dangers of texting while driving.

But a previous campaign in Halifax, Canada, to encourage drivers to take their time crossing bridges was met with criticism for sexism.

The 'Bridget' campaign was criticised for using a highly sexualised female character in posters, radio and online videos to encourage safer driving on the state's bridges.