#3500LIVES

Ready to drive? Fasten that seatbelt!

Today's highlight: Safety!

Did you know that on average, 3,500 people die in auto accidents every day? That is just a ridiculous number, even with the huge numbers of people driving every day around the world. The international organization that rules motor sports, the FIA, has started a campaign to try and decrease that number, increase safe driving, and make people aware of the issue. These are all very simple safety tips, and remembering to follow them EVERY DAY would go a long way to keeping more people safe. 

Here's the FIA’s Golden Rules for road safety:

• Obey the speed limit
• Never drink and drive
• Use a child safety seat 
• Always pay attention
• Buckle up
• Don’t text and drive
• Stop when you’re tired
• Wear a helmet
• Check your tires (or "tyres" in England)
• Stay bright
• Check your vision

One rule I'd like to highlight is Don't Text and Drive. Statistics say that a driver is FOUR TIMES as likely to be killed in an accident if they are texting and driving. 

As part of this safety initiative, the FIA is also addressing bigger issues that must be improved at higher levels than you and me behind the wheel. Maybe a bit dramatic, this Manifesto covers a lot of ground:

MANIFESTO AT GLANCE

1. AMBITIOUS TARGETS
2. BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE
3. SAFER VEHICLES
4. MORE EFFECTIVE LAWS
5. STOP SPEEDING
6. TACKLE DRINK‑DRIVING
7. IMPROVED DATA COLLECTION
8. GLOBAL FUND FOR SAFER ROADS
9. PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT
10. INCREASE COORDINATED ACTION

One highlight I learned from reading about their Manifesto, is that about 50% of traffic fatalities happen on only 10% of the roads in the world. That ties in with #2 and #8 above, that we need better infrastructure and safer roads to drive on to make improvements and save lives. 

While we feel like we have a lot of safety laws in the US regarding vehicles and how we operate them, there are many places in the world that do NOT have as many safety laws, and this is another big factor in higher rates of traffic deaths in those areas. Part of the Manifesto addresses this topic by working to raise awareness with the United Nations too. 

Here at NMS, we will continue to talk about safety in just about everything we do, and hope that you do too. 

You can read more about this at Pirelli and FIA