Continental and La Vuelta present Distancia-T, a campaign to protect cyclists and drivers

©Unipublic/Photogomez Sport


  • Continental and Unipublic have come together for the road safety campaign Distancia-T, an initiative that is part of the global project ‘VisionZero’ whose objective is to reduce the number of road accidents to zero.
  • According to the Directorate General of Traffic, in 2016, cyclists were involved in 4.2% of the total number of road accidents.
  • Distancia-T will bring awareness to all those initiatives, programmes and technologies that are at the forefront of road safety innovation. 

 

This Thursday, Continental, with the support of Unipublic –organiser of La Vuelta-, has presented Distancia-T, a platform that has been created with the objective of protecting cyclists and drivers on the road and bringing awareness to the public, by creating safety habits, improving the co-existence of cyclists and drivers, and also ensuring the safety and mobility of both groups. Its ultimate aim is to drastically reduce the number of road fatalities, through the education and training of all road users: from motor vehicle drivers, to cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

According to the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), in 2006, the total number of cyclists involved in road accidents resulting in victims was 8193 users (which represents 4.2% of all vehicle accidents). Also, between 2010 and 2015, the number of casualties in bicycle accidents doubled in Spain. The urgent need to face this road safety issue was the catalyst for the creation of ‘Distancia-T’.

In attendance at the presentation were Jorge Cajal, Continental’s Marketing Director; Luis Pasamontes, ex-cyclist and Distancia-T collaborator; Emilio de Villota, ex Formula 1 driver and Distancia-T collaborator; and Javier Guillén, General Director of Unipublic. The event has served to strengthen the commitment between Unipublic and Continental, through an initiative that appeals directly to the responsibility of each company regarding the safety of cyclists and drivers.

Jorge Cajal, Marketing Director of Continental Tires in Spain, assured that “road accidents must be a thing of the past. Continental’s technology and innovation guarantee an improvement in safety. The mobility is varied but there must be respect among the different collectives”. Likewise, Javier Guillén, General Director of La Vuelta, stressed that “an event like La Vuelta is, and must continue to be, an example regarding the co-existence of cyclists and drivers. It is important to support actions like Distancia-T: we need campaigns that will stand the test of time. The first step towards improving our co-existence and safety is for those of us who ride bicycles or drive vehicles to recognise our errors, which is why we wholeheartedly support this initiative and will broadcast it widely through all of our channels”.

 

ZERO ROAD VICTIMS

Distancia-T is part of Continental’s global project ‘VisionZero’, which consists in reducing the number of road victims to zero. In order to fulfil this ambitious project, Continental provides users with its automotive technology, while also informing them regarding driving behaviour.

For this purpose, Distancia-T features the collaboration of outstanding cycling and automotive professionals, who share their advice regarding good habits, aimed at all road users. Ex-cyclist, Luis Pasamontes, emphasized the importance of an initiative such as this: “cyclists who practice their sport on the roads face a dangerous reality every day. The cyclist always loses: he doesn’t have the frame or structure of a car. We, cyclists, are also drivers and must lead by example”. Another Distancia-T collaborator, ex Formula 1 driver, Emilio de Villota, agreed with this argument regarding road safety: “There are small actions we can all practice on a daily basis –such as placing our rearview mirrors correctly- that would help to save lives and which we must begin to internalise. I am an advocate for solidarity in driving”.

Distancia-T will bring awareness to all those initiatives, programmes and technologies that are at the forefront of road safety innovation. These actions are becoming increasingly necessary, as the number of road victims in Spain continues to be very high, especially those involving cyclists.

 

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