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F1 Champion Backs Global Road Safety Campaign
Fri, 19 Jun 2009

Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has voiced his support for an international road safety campaign that aims to tackle the growing number of road deaths around the world.

Racing star Hamilton is backing the Make Roads Safe campaign which, under its "decade of action" initiative, is seeking to cut global road fatalities from 1.3 million last year to 900,000 by 2020, saving around five million lives and preventing 50 million serious injuries .

Speaking at the launch of the campaign in Westminster, the 24-year-old said "I want to use my profile as world champion to do what I can to help raise awareness about global road deaths - and what can be done to prevent them."

"The message I would try and send out is take a step back and think before you act. You could easily make a mistake and lose your friend’s life or your own life. It’s about being sensible and making the right decisions. If you want to have fun, go to a go kart circuit."

"On the roads it’s not just you out there - you have oncoming traffic, you have people crossing the road and you may have passengers."

The Make Roads Safe campaign is calling on governments around the world to pump £183 million to prevent road deaths in poorer countries.

According to projections by the World Health Organisation, road accidents are on course to become the leading cause of disability and premature death for children aged 5-14 by 2015.

Hamilton added: "In the UK we have made great progress on road safety, but much more can be done. We need a global Decade of Action to cut the number of deaths by half."

"It is an ambitious vision, but not an impossible one, and it could help to save millions of lives."
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