Formula 1 champ Mansell says ‘show some love for your designated driver’ as IAM RoadSmart Christmas drink drive #herooftheroad campaign gathers pace

Former Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell CBE has given his backing to road safety charity IAM RoadSmart’s Christmas drink drive campaign, which urges no alcohol at all if you are driving during the festive season.

The charity’s campaign also encourages groups of friends to reward their designated driver as a true ‘hero of the road’ this season.

Nigel, who has been President of IAM RoadSmart for 10 years, says that as a Formula 1 driver he couldn’t have achieved the success he had without the backing of his team – and that similarly, a group of friends need to work as a team and make sure the designated driver feels a part of the evening. In this way, there is no temptation to down a swift pint and risk the lives of everyone in the vehicle.

IAM RoadSmart wants to remind everyone of some of the shocking statics that surround drink driving:

• There were 35,000 drink drive offences recorded in the first nine months of 2015
• Having alcohol in your system at just below the limit increases your chances of dying in a crash six fold
• The total number of drink drive related accidents of all severities were 5,620 in 2014

Nigel, who won 31 Formula 1 races for Ferrari and Williams, said: “Often racing drivers are seen as heroes. But to me, the real heroes of the road are those who make sure their friends and family get home safe and sound during the festive season.

“So let’s make sure these real heroes of the road are rewarded. Treat them to a meal or their soft drinks for the evening. And don’t forget to take part in IAM RoadSmart’s designated driver competition for a chance of winning a very special prize.”

To give that hero designated driver and their guest a pat on the back, IAM RoadSmart is offering afternoon tea at The Savoy in London as a competition prize – all entrants have to do is tweet a picture to the IAM RoadSmart Twitter page using the hashtag #herooftheroad, showing your designated driver being celebrated by his or her group of friends.

Nigel added: “Let’s make this festive season one to remember for everyone. And let’s show some love for our designated drivers, who all make sure we are safe on the roads this month.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

IAM RoadSmart’s designated driver competition runs until 8 January. Entries can only be made on Twitter, submitted to the page @IAMRoadSmart and should use the hashtag #herooftheroad

Further information from:

IAM RoadSmart press office – 020 8996 9777 – press.office@iam.org.uk             

ISDN broadcast lines available

Follow us:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/IAMRoadSmart            

On Twitter: @IAMRoadSmart  

IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK’s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com            

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart’s Driver Retraining Academy visit www.iamdra.org.uk  

To find out the name of your own local IAM RoadSmart group please visit: https://wwwiamroadsmart.com/local-groups         

ENDS ALL