Road accidents are the world’s number one killer of 15- to 19-year-olds and every day a thousand under-25-year-olds are killed on the road. More than a million people are killed in road accidents in the developing world each year.

The FIA Formula One World Championship is backing the ‘Make Roads Safe’ campaign, led by the FIA and FIA Foundation, which is calling on the United Nations General Assembly to approve the first ever UN Global Ministerial Summit on Road Safety and to agree an international strategy for road injury prevention.

The sport is backing this campaign in a number of ways. At the first race of the 2007 season all of the Formula One drivers participated in a photocall to promote the ‘Make Roads Safe Campaign’ web site: www.makeroadssafe.org. A crash test dummy, the symbol for the Bridgestone-backed Think! Before You Drive Campaign, appeared in various places in the paddock and the pitlane during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.

In addition, seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher spoke at the launch of UN Road Safety Week in London on April 23, whilst WilliamsF1 driver Alex Wurz spoke at the UN World Youth Assembly for Road Safety in Geneva on April 23-24.

Formula One drivers have also signed a petition backing the objectives of the FIA and FIA Foundation’s ‘Make Roads Safe Campaign’ and have provided messages of support for UN Road Safety Week.

Fernando Alonso, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, said: “For me it’s very important to support this campaign and make safety the first priority in our cars in everyday life. I think we need to improve safety and we need to improve the roads, make the roads safe.”

Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, said: “I think that people need to sit back and really think about how many people are dying on the roads and what we can do about it. It is important we take precautionary measures such as checking that you have the right tyre pressures in your tyres. That is the only contact we have with the road when we’re in the car so just make sure that they are the right temperature, and the right pressure.

“I know when I’m in the race car the first thing, the priority is safety. So my seatbelt, my HANS-device, my helmet, my gloves, everything that is going to keep me safe, so make sure you make these checks.”

David Coulthard, Red Bull Racing, said: “Road safety is important because I’ve always been amazed at how little training youngsters get before setting out on the open road. I don’t think a lot of people today with all the airbags and traction control and safety devices really appreciate how dangerous it is to be out on the open road and the statistics show that over a million people a year are killed on the roads.”

Heikki Kovalainen , ING Renault F1 Team, said: “On the track, tyre performance can make the difference between winning and losing but tyre performance on the road can make the difference between living and dying. Well-maintained tyres are vital for good performance, they are also essential for safety.”