Drivers at the first European round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium endorsed the FIA’s Action for Road Safety campaign this weekend by participating in a series of videos promoting the FIA’s Golden Rules for safer motoring. As the federation’s road safety initiative continues to gather pace, the WEC community voiced its heartfelt support for the campaign which aims to save millions of lives on the world’s roads. Drivers took part in short videos in English, Spanish and Hindi discussing the importance of safe driving.
Putting the Golden Rules into practice, drivers from Signatech Nissan highlighted the dangers of using mobile phones while driving. Jordan Tresson was interviewed by teammate Franck Mailleux as he played a driving game on a mobile smartphone. While ‘driving’ Tresson had the option to answer a phone call or to ignore it, as recommended by Mailleux, who told his teammate: “You’ve got to be safe when you drive. Are you driving or answering the phone? You cannot do both!”
At which point the game, which featured a vehicle crash as a result of distracted driving, ended. Following his ‘crash’ Jordan Tresson stated: “I want to be safe, so I promise not to answer the phone while I am driving. If this was real life I could really have injured myself and others. I encourage all motorists to pay attention while driving.”
Following this Greaves Motorsport’s Ricardo Gonzalez and Elton Julian from Mexico and Ecuador filmed a special clip in Spanish about the necessity to wear a helmet and to drive sober. Speaking about the FIA’s Golden Rules Gonzalez said:“As a professional driver I know that safety is of the utmost importance. Protecting your head essential and I encourage all cyclists and motorbike users to make sure that both they and their passengers wear a helmet.”
Elton Julian stated: “I urge all Latin American road users to follow these Golden Rules for safer motoring. I am delighted to have participated in this video today and I hope that fans will follow our lead and promise to be safer drivers.”
Finally JRM’s Karun Chandhok and Peter Dumbreck called on drivers in a video in Hindi and in English to protect passengers and demonstrated the importance of ensuring children, in particular, are appropriately seated in vehicles and wear seat belts.
Karun Chandhok stated: “we can all improve our driving and as a result road safety. I call on Indian drivers to follow the Golden Rules. Make sure your children are always safety seated in your car. Remember dangerous road behaviour does not only put you in danger but your passengers too. ”
Action for Road Safety is the FIA’s response to the challenge raised by the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety – a campaign intended to prevent five million road deaths and countless injuries by the year 2020. The FIA will task its sporting and mobility members with carrying out ambitious projects to educate, train and raise awareness of road safety issues as part of its commitment to fully support the UN Decade of Action.
The FIA’s Golden Rules for safer motoring are a list of ten road safety precautions. While basic, the majority of road accidents are caused by a failure to heed one or more of them.
Source : FIA