| In his presentation, Wurz, a long-time proponent of improved road safety education, called on governments, NGOs and individuals all over the world to move from a system of passive road safety to one of active engagement with educational programmes for young drivers.
Wurz said he found it ‘devastating and alarming’ that every day over 1,000 lives are lost on roads around the world. He believes that active education of young drivers is the key to significantly reducing this loss of life.
Wurz said: “We can’t and don’t want to change the desire for the great feeling of freedom, mobility and liberty that comes from driving a car, but we must make sure that young drivers are aware of the dangers and make sure that they live up to their responsibility.”
Alongside his racing career Wurz runs Test & Training GmbH, one of Europe’s leading companies in road safety driver training. Test & Training operates nine road safety training centres in Austria, with programmes designed for every road user and systems which have become a benchmark for international road safety driver training. The business has helped reduce fatal accidents in Austria by 30 per cent in two years.
Wurz added: “It is good to be involved in raising the profile on road safety as it is something I have a direct interest in and responsibility to as a racing driver. But much more simply, I am a father of two boys before I am a racing driver and I want to ensure that my kids, just like everyone else, come home safely.”
Click here for a transcript of Wurz’s speech. |
