JULY 2, 2000

Launch of new safety initiative by the FIA

MOTORSPORT's governing body, the FIA, on Sunday launched a new road safety document hours ahead of the French Grand Prix.

The new document, which was launched by FIA president Max Mosley , French transport minister Jean-Claude Gayssot, former world rally champion Ari Vatanen and president of the Magny-Cours circuit Roland Hodel, is called 'Formula Zero' and is aimed at reducing the number of fatalities and injuries on the track and road.

"Safety is an absolute priority for the FIA and it is clearly the FIA's role to campaign for the most demanding safety standards on the road as well as on the track," said Mosley.

"The FIA believe that by adopting what we have called 'zero tolerance' when approaching road safety would have significant benefits and help reduce the 43,000 deaths and the 1.6 million injuries which occur on Europe's roads every year."

Mosley added that the new policy involved an entirely new way at looking at road safety, concentrating on making the whole road system operate safely by using an integrated strategy to embrace drivers, cars and road infrastructures.