Seven times Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher tells the FIA Foundation why road safety is so important to him.
Q: You have been supporting the FIA Foundation’s Think Before You Drive campaign this year. Why do you think the campaign is important?
A: I have been very pleased to support this campaign at several Grand Prix races, and I was always open to support similar campaigns in the years before. The messages are simple but essential: wearing seat belts, using head restraints correctly, checking tyre condition. As a professional racing driver I know that my safety is the first priority. I always follow these basic safety measures on the track and on the road.
But there are millions of people who probably never, or rarely, think about these things. If I can in a way help them, or remind them, that has to be a good thing.
Q: Why are you concerned by road safety?
A: I was shocked to learn that more than 1.2 million people are killed every year on the roads. That is more than three thousand people every day. Or think of it another way – it’s the equivalent of the entire crowd at a Formula One race being killed every month. Casualties are still rising steeply in many parts of the world and are predicted to almost double in some developing countries. So we can and should all do more to prevent these tragic deaths and injuries.
Q: As a racing driver you are associated with high profile, high speed driving. Are you really an appropriate figurehead for a road safety campaign?
A: Road safety is a vital concern for everyone. As a professional racing driver, I demand and expect the highest possible safety standards in my racing car and on the track. We should all expect the same attention to safety in our cars and on our roads – and we should be well aware about the difference of moving on a racing track or on normal streets.
It is also important to stress that every driver, even Formula One world champions, can make mistakes and every driver should be aware of their limitations and not take risks. It is a particularly important message for young male drivers who are most at risk on the road and also the biggest fans of motor racing. If I can help to make just some of these people listen to road safety messages and think about then and act on them, then my participation in the campaign will be worthwhile.
Q: Tyres are a vital safety component that are often overlooked and neglected by drivers. How important is tyre maintenance?
A: On the race track, as anyone who has followed Formula One this season will know, the performance of tyres can make the difference between winning and losing, and is also vital for safety. On the road, the performance of your tyres could make the difference between living and dying.
You need to check tyres regularly, at least once a month. Check the tyre pressure, check the condition of the tyres, make sure there are no cracks or tears and the tread depth is okay. That´s already it.
Q: One of the key messages of the campaign covers seat belt use. Can you explain why seat belts are so important?
A: As a Formula One driver, I know that my seat belt is vital to keep me safe in a race. As a car driver, I know that my seat belt is just as vital to keep me safe on the road. If I have a collision my seat belt can make the difference between life and death. It´s as simple as this.
Child seats are also vital. Children should always be safely restrained in a suitable car seat or seat belt. That´s the least you can do to protect them in a car.
Q: Another message of this campaign is that head restraints play an important role in preventing whiplash injuries. What advice can you give about this?
A: In Formula One we take neck protection very seriously. All drivers wear the HANS system for head and neck protection, which has helped to reduce or prevent a lot of injuries.
Head restraints in passenger cars play an equally important role. Whiplash is a very common and very painful injury. Adjusting your head restraint so that the top of the restraint is level with the top of your head, and as close as possible to the back of your head, can help prevent these injuries. You should check your head restraint every time you get in the car.
Q: You’ve talked about rising traffic deaths in developing countries. But the trend in the rich industrialised countries – including most of the places that host grand prix meetings – has been falling deaths and injuries for decades. Do you think there is still a need for this kind of road safety campaign in Europe, Australia or the US?
A: You can never be complacent about safety. That is as true on the race track where we are probably the most heavily regulated drivers in the world, as on the road. Too many people are still being killed, even in the countries with the best safety records, like UK and Sweden. So the messages of this campaign; on tyre safety and seat belts, but also on speeding and drink driving, need to be heard and understood.