THE National Drag Racing Circuit (NDRC) will begin to display their support of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) via an information booth at their upcoming October 12 meet at Vernamfield in Clarendon, and the foreseeable future.

“The NDRC is the only motorsport organisation endorsed by the National Road Safety Council and our events are the only ones outside of the annual Road Safety Expo that the NRSC will have a full display presence at,” Stephen Gunter, NDRC executive member, told Auto.

The NDRC already has an overseas partnership with Racers Against Street Racing (RASR) an entity that highlights the dangers of illegal street racing. Partnering with the NRSC takes the message to the local level making it even more relevant.

“This is now a real chance to have a conversation about road safety with such an audience and welcome the ability to be face-to-face with them, because in reality, we are of the same mind of the NDRC. We want racing in a controlled environment and the proper safety equipment in place,” said Paula Fletcher, executive director NRSC.

The NRSC will have a full booth at NDRC events packed with video and literature to educate all attendees on road safety. The endorsement comes after four months of negotiations and a prior NDRC relationship with Fletcher. The NDRC has already started branding procedures alongside its main sponsor Nestlé through its Supligen brand.

“We are very proud to see this happen. It’s not just about having a good time along when we can add education on top of it, which is also part of our corporate social responsibility,” Casey Perue, senior consumer marketing manager Nestlé, added.

Currently the national figures for collisions and deaths, which are now equal with last year, are trending down after a tough first quarter. Fletcher is optimistic that the opportunity to end the year with lower figures than 2013 can be achieved. As of August 27, there have been 185 collisions and 198 deaths on Jamaican roads.

“We know that messaging works and as we continue to highlight that speed remains the major factor in crashes and collisions on our roads,” she said.