The football industry has launched a new initiative to help promote road safety among young professionals and supporters.
Developed by dash-cam manufacturer Nextbase – in conjunction with the Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) – the initiative plays on the stereotype that young footballers drive ‘fast’ cars.
The initiative, which was launched last Thursday (28 Sept) with an educational session for 14 Academy players at Southampton FC, will be rolled out to other Premier League clubs to ‘combat the ramifications of unsafe driving’ and promote road safety among younger fans.
The educational sessions set out to educate young footballers on the dangers faced while on the road, including late night driving and the distraction of having other young people in the car, as well as other common concerns including the cost of insurance.
After the session, all participants are provided with a Nextbase’s dash-cam to help ‘ensure their protection on the roads’.
Richard Browning, director at Nextbase, said: “It is often the case that these young players don’t get to benefit from the experience of a few years on the roads before buying a fast car.
“We’re aiming to teach them about driving safety early on and give them the tools to avoid dangerous situations whilst out on the roads.”
Southampton FC says it puts road safety high on the agenda for its Academy players by linking with instructors who prepare them for driving high-powered cars. The club also works with Hampshire Police to provide further education as to the dangers of unsafe driving.
Ian Herding, academy liaison officer at Southampton FC, said: “It is vital to educate our young players – and young drivers generally – on the importance of road safety.
“As a welfare department we hope to do this in the correct way and with Nextbase’s additional support, the players have gained invaluable experience and learnt an important life lesson.
“By eradicating bad driving, we hope they can be role models to other players and young fans we support the roll-out of this initiative across other Premier League clubs.”
Category: Young drivers.
Maybe it could be written into their contracts not to buy ‘high-powered’ or ‘fast’ cars (cars for the gullible as they are sometimes called) in the first place?
I’d love to hear about a high-profile, high-earning premiership footballer turn up for training in a small, modest hatchback or even on a bicycle – might even set an example for their followers, some of whom, no doubt, see them as role models.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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