Jean Todt is one of the best-known figures in top-level motorsport. After a successful 15-year career as a rally co-driver he became director of racing for Peugeot, winning various titles including the World Sportscar Championship. In 1993 he took over Ferrari's racing division, leading them to six drivers' titles, five with Michael Schumacher. He is president of FIA, the governing body for world motorsport, and in 2015 was appointed as the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety. He joined us to discuss his mission to improve safety on the world's roads.
What made you interested in road safety?
People often ask me that – how can “Mr Speed” be an advocate for road safety? Well, all my life I have been close to motorsport and over those decades I have seen people I know injured and killed. That is something that hurts me deeply and when you have seen that, you really want to do something about it.
In your experience what are the main causes of accidents on public roads?
There is no one cause. There are different factors working together, but there are three things in particular that contribute to accidents and contribute to death and serious injuries. We don't train and educate drivers enough. We don't enforce the laws of the road enough. And we don't have good enough emergency response if there is an accident, especially in developing countries.
The UN has set a target of halving the number of road accident victims – so what can we do right now to get closer to that target?
It is ambitious, but look at it in context: worldwide there are still over a million people killed in traffic accidents every year. I draw a parallel with my country, France. In the 1970s France had around 18,000 fatalities on the roads every year. Then the government decided to make road safety a priority and today – even with three times as many vehicles on the road – the fatality rate has been drastically reduced. What we need to do now is show the same willingness to address the problem at a world level.
What can a body like the UN do to bring about change?
The UN has been very active in road safety; it has included road safety in the Sustainable Development Goals and set a target of providing safe, accessible and affordable transport, including public transport, for every citizen by 2030. But companies also have a role to play, because they can provide the technology to make vehicles safer; they can also help us find the funding to raise road safety awareness and impact. As it happens, Pirelli was one of the first private-sector companies to donate to the UN Road Safety Trust Fund.
Are there some simple things governments could do to make a big impact?
There are plenty. Around 40 per cent of road traffic accident victims in the developing world are pedestrians, but better lighting and reflective gear could make them more visible, for example. Governments everywhere could make safety belts mandatory and enforce that. Motorcyclists could have proper, homologated protective helmets. And if you say that the problem there is price, but we, at the FIA, have helped develop a fully compliant safety helmet that you can buy right now for less than $20 that meet UN minimum safety standard.
Is there anything we can learn from the motorsport industry on road safety?
We can learn a lot, especially when you consider the progress that has been made over the last 50 years in motorsport. Just look at how accident rates and injuries have been cut right down through better design of circuits and better protective equipment. Stability control systems, better helmets, more effective safety belts – these all started in the extreme environment of motor racing and then filtered through to everyday driving.
Can you tell us something about the #Love30 speed reduction campaign that has been part of this year's UN Global Road Safety Week?
It is about making people aware of the importance of basic speed limits, and helping them see the positivity in them, especially where there are mixed traffic and vulnerable road users. You know that the difference between having an accident at 30kph and 50kph is massive. And, as part of this campaign, we are trying to change the mindset and make people aware that the idea they have – that an accident will never happen to them because it hasn't happened before – is wrong. People always underestimate the consequences of an accident, not just for them but for their families, for all the people around them.
How should we use new technology to make the future of all mobility safer?
New digital technology will make an impact, but it is going to take time. Remember that in the developing world the average age of a road vehicle is s more than 20 years – such vehicles don't have the technology. So, before we think about technology we must think about simple, direct and immediate solutions. Just take law enforcement, that is something that can make a huge immediate impact. For example, I am speaking today from Switzerland and here the penalties for breaking road traffic rules are very high. And believe me, people in Switzerland drive within the rules. There is no reason that will not work elsewhere.
Do you see evidence that the road safety message is getting heard around the world?
I hope so. I think so. Because when you visit a place like Africa and you see the terrible risks people are forced to take just to get from one place to another, you really want to do something about that. The UN has stated that road safety is a human right, and every citizen has that right. But we can only preserve those rights if we are all better educated. And one thing that pleases me is that I often see how the young can educate the old on road safety – you know when someone says, “Dad, you haven't put your seat belt on”. Well, it is time to put the seat belt on, whatever age you are.
