WITH a name like his, you might expect him to be something of a speed demon behind the wheel.
But Chris Schumacher, 23, says he has seen too many bad drivers on the road to follow in the dust of his Formula One namesake.
Mr Schumacher, a marketing student from Portobello, was speaking at the launch of a new safety campaign which the Scott
ish Government hopes will cut deaths on the country's roads.
A hard-hitting advert, which drives home the message of just how easy it is to die behind the wheel, will be screened in Scottish cinemas ahead of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight.
The advert will also be beamed out to video-game users across the country on the Xbox Live system, in a bid to catch the attention of the young drivers most at risk of having an accident.
Mobile phones will also be targeted via a bluetooth campaign, and there will be billboards warning drivers to take care on country roads.
Chris, who passed his test a year ago, was among the 100 young drivers invited along to the launch of the campaign at the Vue Cinema, Ocean Terminal, today.
He said he had been warned by friends that his name could cause him trouble behind the wheel, but insisted he had never been tempted to drive recklessly.
"I was told that if I ever got stopped the police would think I was winding them up, so I suppose I have an extra incentive to drive carefully," he said.
"I have never been in an accident and I would say I am a very safe driver – my dad wouldn't let me drive his Jaguar otherwise.
"I know people who have been hurt in accidents though, and I've seen these young guys on the road, guys my age, who just don't seem to understand that their driving could leave them, or someone else, in hospital or worse.
"Everyone will have seen idiots on the road, and I think targeting kids is a great idea.
"Targeting computer game users is genius – every teenager now has a games console, and this is probably the best way to get through to them."
The advert is set on a country road at night – statistically the most likely time and type of road for accidents involving young drivers.
Road Safety Scotland's director, Michael McDonnell, said: "Despite having just passed their test, many young men are extremely confident in their driving abilities.
"Particularly on country roads which seem to represent freedom and a chance to show off their newly-acquired driving skills to their mates. However, the number of accidents on Scotland's roads involving young drivers demonstrates how dangerous these attitudes can be.
"The campaign aims to encourage young drivers to become more aware of how a simple distraction can lead to serious damage of their cars, bank balance and possibly even their lives."
The full article contains 491 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
