FIA President Jean Todt said 'Children are the most vulnerable road users. As pedestrians and cyclists they are particularly exposed. The Stay Bright campaign explains in a simple way how to stay safe on the road, especially at night and when weather conditions offer poor visibility.'

MEP Olga Sehnalova said: 'We know that the winter months are dark and cold, and road visibility is poor. Unfortunately, many children don't get the right advice or equipment to be safe when they are going to and from school. Stay Bright intends to change that, by showing kids how to best use reflective gear and empowering them to act for their own protection'.

Alex Wurz said, 'When I was 12 years old I became BMX World Champion and bicycles have always played an important role in my life. I know how vulnerable cyclists are in traffic and with a campaign like Stay Bright we can show kids that by using reflective gear properly, they are much better protected on the road. It might just save their life'. 

Formula One drivers have lent their support to the campaign. These include: Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas, Jenson Button, Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean, Esteban Gutiérrez, Kevin Magnussen, Felipe Massa, Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Rosberg, Stoffel Vandoorne, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Alexander Wurz.

The campaign was launched as part of the European Commission's Mobility Week and will be rolled out across Europe the Middle East and Africa throughout the winter season 2016. Countries launching the campaign are: France (ACA), UK (IAM), Italy (ACI), Portugal (ACP), Slovakia (ASA), Denmark (FDM), Latvia (LAMB), Belgium (TCB), Czech Republic (UAMK), Norway (KNA), Azerbaijan (AMAK), Nigeria (ATZN), Hungary (MAK), Slovenia (AMZS), Bulgaria (UAB).

The launch was held at FIA Region I's conference 'Safe road to school' on 22 September 2016 in front of European traffic education stakeholders and policymakers. The conference was organised in cooperation with Ustredni Automotoklub Ceské Republiky (UAMK), in conjunction with the European Traffic Education Contest (ETEC) in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. The conference has the support of the European Commission and the Region of Usti.

Notes to editors

(1) European Commission, 2015

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/roadsafety/users/children/indexen/htm

• Visit staybright.org
   
• Watch the animation

About the European Traffic Education Contest

The European Traffic Education Contest is an annual event where teams of children aged 10-12 compete in road safety activities to indicate their knowledge of road safety. The contest aims to intensify traffic education in each participating country, teach children the rules of the road and increase road safety awareness among children. The contest is supported by the European Commission.
http://www.trafficeducationcontest.eu

About FIA Region I

The FIA Region I office, based in Brussels, is a consumer body representing 111 Mobility Clubs and their 37 million members from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The FIA represents the interest of these members as motorists, public transport users, pedestrians and tourists. The FIA's primary goal is to secure a focuses on Road Safety, Consumer Protection, Envionmental Protection, and the promotion of Sustainable Motoring. www.fiaregion1.com