Youngsters learn life-saving lessons with Brands Hatch YoungDrive! programme
FIA Formula Two drivers took time out of their preparations for this weekends rounds at Brands Hatch to show support for the FIAs Action for Road Safety (AfRS) campaign, helping teach youngsters the importance of road safety with the aid of the circuits YoungDrive! programme.
Already endorsed by championships including Formula One and Le Mans, as well as high profile figures such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the global scheme aims to raise awareness of the importance of safe driving to reduce the number of fatalities on the worlds roads, which currently stands at around 1.3 million per year.
F2 drivers from across the globe helped with the event at the Kent circuit, together with children aged between 11-17 from the local community. Zimbabwean Axcil Jefferies, Iranian Kourosh Khani, Briton Luciano Bacheta, Swiss Mathéo Tuscher and Romanian Mihai Marinescu guided the young drivers through the FIAs 10 Golden Rules such as obeying the speed limit, ensuring everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seatbelt and being courteous and considerate to other road users. To help them, they were using the circuits YoungDrive! scheme which gives children as young as 11 their first taste of being a motorist in a dual-controlled MINI – learning the basics of car control and safety in a traffic-free environment.
F2 Championship Co-ordinator James Gornall said: Since the start of the season, the FIA Formula Two Championship has been supporting the FIAs AfRS and were delighted weve been able to reinforce that today. On the track, the F2 drivers are fully focused on racing within their competition rules but when theyre on the public road, they know just how important it is to respect the most basic safety rules. The F2 drivers really enjoyed teaching the children about the value of the Golden Rules today and I know they will take these onboard when they get behind the wheel.
Campaign Manager Naoise King added: Today was a fantastic opportunity for us to continue our message of road safety and were very grateful to the F2 drivers for their support as role models. As well as reaching out to the local community, the diverse nationalities of the F2 drivers have also helped us spread the message to a much wider, global audience.
For more information of the FIAs campaign visit www.actionforroadsafety.org. Alternatively for further details on the YoungDrive! scheme click onto www.msvdrivinggifts.com. Rounds 9 and 10 of the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship at Brands Hatch get underway this weekend (13-15 July) with full coverage at www.formualtwo.com.