Canadian GP - Massa, putting across the safety message
Montreal, 9 June – This morning at the La Ronde Amusement Park in Montreal, Felipe Massa was at the wheel of a driving simulator for a special test. It was all part of a joint initiative between the FIA and the CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) aimed at reducing the number of casualties involved in road accidents. This is part of a wider ranging UN programme aimed at road safety which has a target of saving five million lives over a decade.
During the simulator session, text messages were sent to Massa’s mobile phone to illustrate the dangers of receiving and writing texts while driving, as it is far too complex a task to tackle at the wheel. A study at the Virginia Institute of Transport has shown that the risk of being involved in a serious or fatal accident is twenty three times greater for motorists who text at the wheel. Eight out of ten accidents are actually caused by this type of distraction. “In situations like this you can convince yourself that you do not lose concentration on your driving,” commented Massa. “Nothing could be further from the truth, even for professionals like we Formula 1 drivers, for whom driving on the road presents significant difficulties if you consider that on track we are all doing the same thing and going at much the same speed. I am happy to be part of this awareness campaign, as it is really important to highlight the risks that are out there when driving on the road and that can really affect anyone.”
Credit: Ferrari S.p.A. (www.ferrari.com)
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