AS Roma and Automobile Club Roma launch 'Keep Life Onside' campaign to promote safe, responsible driving

Approximately 13,000 accidents happen on the streets of Rome every year, resulting in around 16,000 injuries and 150 deaths – just under a third of which are pedestrians. Getting distracted while behind the wheel and failing to follow road signs are behind over half of the deaths, while speeding is the chief cause.

In response to these terrible figures, which refer to 2022 and are sadly increasing, especially as far as pedestrians and young drivers are concerned, the club has brought together a number of stakeholders to seek some concrete solutions to this critical social issue. The result is the 'Tieni in gioco la vita' (Keep Life Onside) campaign, which aims to encourage safe, responsible driving through educational campaigns aimed at young people.

The project, which involves AS Roma, Automobile Club Roma and Toyota and Kinto, draws on the invaluable testimony of journalist Luca Valdiserri. Luca's son, 18-year-old Francesco, was hit and killed by an out-of-control car in an accident in October 2022 as he was walking on the pavement with friends in Via Cristoforo Colombo.

A memorandum of understanding was signed at the Roma training ground (Centro Sportivo Fulvio Bernardini) on 4 April 2024 by AS Roma CEO Lina Souloukou and Automobile Club Roma president Giuseppina Fusco, with Luca Valdiserri and Roma footballer Sardar Azmoun – representing the first team – in attendance.

The training activities are carried out by the Automobile Club Roma, an institution committed to the promotion of road safety, through a method involving interactive theoretical lessons and safe driving tests at special areas set up, under the coordination of ACI Ready2Go trainers, putting into practice an engaging, proven and particularly effective methodology for learning the correct driving rules.

As part of the campaign, theory and practical lessons have been held over the last few days for more than 100 students from the final year of three Rome-based schools (Giorgio Ambrosoli, Ferrari-Hertz and Giovanni XXIII), together with the entire Giallorossi U19 team, which is supporting the campaign. The tests were held in classrooms and areas made available by the University of Rome "Tor Vergata," with which the Automobile Club Roma has a fruitful collaboration.

After the theoretical part, the practical track test was held. Toyota and Kinto, as the Mobility Service Provider of AS Roma, have made available to the project four iconic cars from the Toyota range suitable for young and novice drivers. Two Aygo X and two Yaris Cross, the latter equipped with full hybrid technology. 

Participants holding a driver's license or learner's permit were able to face a series of simulated dangerous situations in which they had to apply the lessons learned in the classroom.  Similar courses will be run for students from other schools around the capital over the coming months. 

AS Roma has set up a fund in memory of Francesco Valdiserri, which will allow the three schools involved to run all of the training and awareness activities again next year. 

"As you know, for AS Roma and our ownership, the automotive sector is of greatest importance," said AS Roma CEO Lina Souloukou. “The tragic statistics regarding road accidents in our city urged us to take an active role in promoting a campaign that can bring a tangible benefit to our community. We thought it was important to get new drivers involved, including player from our youth sector, so that they can learn essential rules for safe, responsible driving right from the start".

"We want to use Roma's media impact and persuasive power to spread this positive message as far as possible and help nurture the mentality that safe drivers are the winners, not the losers. We would like to thank Automobile Club Roma and Toyota for taking up our invitation and offering all of their experience and expertise, and especially Luca Valdiserri for being our guide and inspiration, in memory of his son, Francesco.”

“The Automobile Club Roma is always committed to road safety education, especially for young people of driving age,” explained Giuseppina Fusco, President of the Automobile Club Roma. “We have warmly welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with AS Roma to implement the drive safely project, which will allow us to expand the audience of young people reached by educational initiatives and have a more effective dissemination of road safety.

"The participation in training courses by Primavera players, who are ‘credible ambassadors’ and a draw for young people, creates a multiplier effect by spreading a message of safety. Through signing this memorandum of understanding and also thanks to the valuable collaboration with Tor Vergata University of Rome, which has provided classrooms and areas to set up test drives, the road ahead is therefore open to a public-private collaboration. We hope this will encourage young people to adopt a driving style that is conscious and respectful of life and take decisive steps towards the goal of zero victims on our roads”.

“We are proud to participate in a project that shares our vision for the future, renewing our commitment to road safety and sustainable mobility”, commented Alberto Santilli, Amministratore Delegato di Toyota Motor Italia. 

"With our 'Let's Go Beyond' vision, we aspire to raise safety standards and exceed the goal of zero emissions. Through the development of an advanced mobility ecosystem, integrating electrified and connected vehicles with cutting-edge safety technologies, we are committed to meeting the needs of an evolving society, ensuring that everyone has the freedom to move safely and in harmony with their surroundings environment.

"This vision, which has become a reality in Italy since 2018 with the introduction of Toyota Safety Sense as standard on our entire range, includes a complete package of safety systems for the protection of occupants and road users in different scenarios. Since 2020, Toyota commercial vehicles have also stood out for having progressively adopted the most innovative safety systems, confirming our commitment to spreading a culture of road safety and reducing accidents”.

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