A TV advert for a safer driving app featuring former Formula One ace David Coulthard has been banned for encouraging dangerous driving.

More than 50 people contacted watchdogs about the Aviva insurance adverts, in which Coulthard was disguised as a taxi driver. He was filmed with passengers in the back seats, driving at “excessive speeds” whilst performing various stunts on public roads.

Watchdogs ruled that the manner in which the car was driven was “extremely reckless” and the short film should not be shown again.

The adverts, screened until July this year, featured an on-screen warning not to attempt to recreate the scenes filmed.

But 58 people complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), believing that they “encouraged dangerous and irresponsible driving”.

Aviva said that it had edited a “significant proportion” of the “extreme driving elements” to ensure balance and clarity of the message about the “Drive App” that was being promoted, which offered safer drivers a potential discount on their car insurance.

Aviva said the adverts were part of a broader campaign driven out of a “social purpose” to help make Britain’s roads safer.

Aviva believed the adverts “encouraged and promoted” safer driving.

But an ASA spokesman said: “We considered that the ad primarily focused on the high speed and stunts performed by the car, which consequently overshadowed the ‘warning’ and ‘experiment’ on-screen texts that appeared at the start of the ad.

“Furthermore, the manner in which the car was driven was extremely reckless and given it was performed in a regular vehicle and on public roads whilst showing other vehicles to be in motion, were scenes that could potentially be emulated by viewers, putting themselves and others at a significant risk of danger by driving hazardously and in an irresponsible manner."

A spokeswoman for Aviva said it was disappointed with the ruling but would abide by the decision.

She said: "We wanted to produce an advert which presented this idea in a completely different way, but still stayed true to the principles of safer driving by encouraging people to use our app which monitors their driving skills and rewards safer motorists.

"However, we appreciate that some viewers felt the advert may have sent out the wrong message.

"We are absolutely committed to helping make Britain’s roads safer and we will continue to develop new initiatives with this goal in mind."