Williams re-affirms commitment to global road safety

A part of its wider responsibility programme, Williams F1 has re-affirmed its commitment to improving global road safety today by backing the Make Roads Safe campaign. The Williams FW32 will run for the 2010 season with a livery displaying Make Roads Safe branding and Team Principal Sir Frank Williams will wear the Make Roads Safe logo on his team uniform.

Following the recent Decade of Action for Road Safety declaration by the UN General Assembly, the FIA is developing a ten-year international action plan to support the initiative. The FIA will be encouraging its motor sport and mobility membership as well as the competitors and key stakeholders in its Championships to participate in the Decade of Action.

FIA President, Jean Todt, said: “I am delighted to see that Williams F1 is helping to promote the Make Roads Safe campaign message. Formula One is ideally placed to reach millions of viewers across the world and in doing so can help us raise awareness of the global, but often invisible tragedy of road accident casualties.”

“Safety in Formula One has improved enormously over the last ten years, in the next ten years our sport can help focus public attention on improving safety on our roads.”

Frank Williams, AT&T Williams team Principal, said: “Every year 1.3 million people are killed in road accidents across the world. Williams F1 and I personally am committed to raising awareness of the Make Roads Safe campaign and working with the FIA in the implementation of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.”

The Make Roads Safe campaign is an initiative of the Commission for Global Road Safety. It has been spearheaded by the FIA Foundation, a charitable organisation which was established with the monies from the sale of Formula One’s TV rights.

As a direct result of the Make Roads Safe Campaign and the work of the Commission for Global Road Safety, this March the United Nation proclaimed 2011-2020 a Decade of Action for Road Safety. With road deaths having been set to double in the next 10 years, this landmark resolution will pave the way to help halve the number deaths over the next decade saving five million lives.

Road crashes already kill on a scale of Malaria or Tuberculosis and they are forecast to increase dramatically unless action is taken:

• By 2030, the projected number of deaths on the world’s roads will be roughly double the current level.

• Around 1.3 million people will be killed on the world’s roads this year. Over 90 per cent of these fatalities occur in the world’s poorest countries.

• Road traffic fatalities are the single biggest source of death among 15-19 year olds in developing countries and the second leading cause among 5-14 year olds.