Young Footballers Back Road Safety Campaign
Queens Park Rangers' stars say: ' Look out for your mates'
Young football stars from five top London clubs, including Queens Park Rangers, have given their support to Transport for London's latest road safety campaign to reduce the number of young teenagers killed or seriously injured on London roads.
The footballers, who also included players from Fulham, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Wimbledon Academies posed with their teammates to remind teenagers to 'Look out for your mates - a slogan which aims to put road safety in the forefront of teenagers' minds.
367 young people aged 13 to 19 were killed or seriously injured in the capital in 2008, and TfL say young teenagers are more likely to be involved as a pedestrian in a road collision than any other age group. Boys and young people from deprived backgrounds are particularly vulnerable.
London football clubs are well aware of the influence football has on young boys and football Academies are well established across the city.
The QPR players involved in the campaign are: Antonio German, Max Ehmer, Javonne Molloy, and Aaron Walters.
Ian Taylor, Press and PR Manager of Queens Park Rangers Football Club said: "Road safety is of paramount importance. It is vitally important that we - as a society - reduce the number of accidents, fatal or otherwise, that occur on our roads."
Along with the players' involvement, TfL has produced graphic campaign posters showing young people injured in road accidents to drive home the safety message to as many teenagers as possible.
Chris Lines, Head of TfL Road Safety Unit says: "Every day a teenager is killed or seriously injured on London roads. While this number is steadily falling, one injury is still one too many.
"This year Transport for London is spending £57m on further safety measures on the capital's roads, and the campaign is designed to get teenagers talking about road safety in schools."
June 24, 2009
