Today, on the occasion of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Jean TODT, President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, is releasing on his twitter account @JeanTodt “F1 DRIVERS ADVOCATE FOR ROAD SAFETY”, a short film featuring for the first time the complete grid of F1 drivers advocating for road safety.

According to current figures, approximately 1.35 million people die in crashes worldwide every year. Recent trends show that this number has been increasing. Young people are particularly affected, as road traffic crashes are the main cause of death of the 5 to 29 year old.

Together with its 240 Member Organizations around the world, the FIA aims to raise awareness of the dangers of the road and promote a set of simple safety tips for all users.

Composed of black and white close-ups of the drivers’ faces, the film highlights the need to follow key safety rules, not only on the race track but also on the road. As professionals, F1 drivers know all too well that “driving can be dangerous”, but “there are simple rules that we can follow that will make our roads safer and save lives”. The video underlines the key messages from the FIA’s #3500LIVES global road safety campaign, such as ‘always pay attention’, ‘don’t text and drive’ and ‘obey the speed limit’.

Launching the film, FIA President Jean Todt warmly thanked the F1 drivers for their participation and said: “Road crashes are one of the most pressing global challenges of our time. This film will help to raise awareness among the general public about the importance of road safety and help us spread the message: ‘Your life is in your hands. Respect the rules’.” He further added: ”I strongly encourage everyone to share it”.

This week marks the fifth United Nations Road Safety Week, on the occasion of which the FIA has supported more than 40 initiatives with its Member Clubs all over the world through the FIA Road Safety Grants Programme.

The film release will also be coupled with a global social media campaign encouraging people to share it worldwide.

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Drivers involved in the film: Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, Antonio Giovinazzi, Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Robert Kubica, Daniil Kvyat, Charles Leclerc, Kevin Magnussen, Lando Norris, Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen, Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll, George Russell, Sebastien Vettel, Max Verstappen.