THINK! has teamed up with Radio One DJ Chris Stark and the County Football Association to deliver a passionate team talk to young drivers.
The team talk forms part of a new THINK! campaign which aims to celebrate those young drivers who don’t take risks on the road.
The campaign also promotes safe driving habits, such as travelling at a safe speed, even when in a hurry or on well-known roads, and ignoring mobile phones.
It has been launched to coincide with Euro 2020, which got underway on 11 June.
Chris Stark, who also co-hosts ‘That Peter Crouch Podcast’, said: “Every football fan knows that the banter around the sport is part of the magic.
“And even though driving your mates to football games isn’t possible right now, you don’t want to put yourself or others at risk by getting distracted on a group chat or speeding home to watch England play in the Euros.”
While UK road casualty figures have plateaued over the last decade, young male drivers aged 17-24 years are still four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than drivers aged 25 years and over (per billion miles travelled).
The fear is that, as car traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels, the casualty figures among this high-risk group may increase.
Baroness Vere, roads minister, said: “When people think of car accidents involving young men, they think of boy racers and extreme risk-taking.
“But this campaign is warning of the small distractions, such as checking a message on your phone, creeping above the speed limit or driving too fast on country roads, all of which contribute to deaths and injuries on our roads remaining unacceptably high.”
As part of the County FA partnership, clubs and teams are sharing their own video clips, which can be seen in the team talk film.
Conor Ogilvie-Davidson, marketing and partnership officer at Somerset FA, said: “Hundreds of thousands of young players up and down the country drive to and from matches and training, enjoying the freedom that being able to drive brings them and their friends.
“As grassroots football has finally got going again and has been extended through June, we want to ensure we are keeping all our players safe both on the pitch, and the roads this season, for pre-season and for many seasons to come.
“It’s a simple message, but potentially life-saving.”
17 June 2021