Mike Rutherford's column

2nd May 2007

	Schumacher is better placed than any other high-profile person on the planet to help cut deaths on the road across the world

I hope that those Fiat van TV commercials featuring a bored Michael Schumacher have finally been canned for the benefit of an embarrassed public, the vehicle manufacturer and the man himself. Frankly, he's looking a bit lost these days, and he clearly needs a new purpose in life. In one sense he has everything. But look at it another way, and he has next to nothing. Money's not an issue. Yet the harsh truth is that, as things stand, the world's best driver of modern times could be looking at spending the majority of his adult life retired in sleepy Switzerland... jobless, lacking direction and living on past glories. What he needs is a proper job.

He could, and should, still be on the Ferrari payroll, serving the next stage of his Italian apprenticeship with a view to taking over as boss of the F1 team and, eventually, putting on a suit and tie and becoming numero uno at the Italian firm's road car division. But, as Fiat/Ferrari Godfather, Luca di Montezemolo told me only last month: "No way. Michael is our consultant. That's all."

Except that's not all. Schuey's serious, eloquent and (as long as you're not competing against him) extremely kind and generous. Plus, he needs a job where he can demonstrate that kindness and generosity. And I think he's just found one. The position means that he'll be on the road (or more likely, flying in his personal jet) most of the time, delivering his message, passionately spreading the word, helping to save thousands of lives.

That's what you do when you're working for the United Nations as its global Head of Road Accident Prevention (that's my job description for him, not the UN's). Schumacher is better placed than any other high-profile person on the planet to help curtail the epidemic that's responsible for 1.2 million road deaths across the world every year. Already Michael has contributed his time and expertise to become the most famous professional to associate himself with the first UN Global Road Safety Week. He's also demanding, Bob Geldof-style, an international ministerial conference so that the carnage can be discussed at the highest level.

It needs a highly respected and convincing world statesman such as Schuey to drive important messages home. Through his days at Ferrari, he's used to being part of a travelling, fast-reacting, high-profile team that gets things done, regardless of the enormous costs involved. And he has to bring similar disciplines to the UN if he's really going to do something drastic to reduce the carnage on the roads, cycle lanes, pavements, dirt tracks and mountain trails of the world, where transport-related accidents are among the biggest killers.

Meanwhile, if you're in comparatively safe Britain and you want to immediately reduce your chances of death or injury on the road when you're going about your everyday business, here's my advice: never forget that walking or riding bikes and motorbikes are the most dangerous ways to travel.

Well maintained cars are now comparatively safe, and safer still when they're large, occupied by people wearing seatbelts and driven by sober motorists who are concentrating, staying away from trucks (especially left-hand-drive ones), not tired, not on the phone and not driving at inappropriately high or low speeds.

Now, why aren't we all getting that sort of information from the convincing and credible UN-backed Michael Schumacher via public service broadcasts on television, radio and the Internet?

Discuss here

Mike Rutherford writes for the Times, Daily Telegraph and Independent, presents ITV's Pulling Power and is founder member of the Motorists' Association

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