Pope says respecting rules of the road means investing in life

By Edoardo Giribaldi

Pope Francis made a heartfelt invitation when greeting representatives of the Italian Motorcycle Federation when he encouraged them in their efforts to raise greater awareness of Italy's road safety rules. At stake are the lives of so many young people, he pointed out, who admire "the champions" of motorcycling but are "often unaware of the dangers" in riding.

Awareness of road rules

Highlighting the two-fold task of the Federation, the Pope recalled their focus on matters guiding the world of motorcycling and the role the organization plays at an international level. He mentioned the importance of road and rules education and how the organisation's statutes provide for "courses to be held in schools" to promote greater awareness of the rules of the road.

Investing in life

The tragic reality of the high number of road accidents involving young people makes their work ever more critical, the Pope noted as, "in many cases, poor knowledge or failure to apply safety rules endangers not only the safety of drivers, but also the safety of others."  He described their efforts to raise road safety awareness and enhance knowledge of road issues as "an investment in life."

The Pope offered them his hearty good wishes and blessings, asking them to pray for him, quiping that he needs their prayers as "my work is very high-speed and my 'bike' is old and not working very well!"