MOKGETHI NKOSI
South African racing champion and television presenter Gugu Zulu has teamed up with Discovery Insure to promote better driving in the country.
This comes after Discovery’s research team found that drivers between the ages of 18 and 35 are more confident about their driving abilities than they should be. Researchers also found that young adults are more at risk of being involved in a car accident than other drivers.
In a statement Zulu said that he became involved with Discovery because he understands the importance of safe driving and would like to educate young adults on the importance of road safety and on how they can decrease fatalities on South African roads.
Some of the factors that were noted in the research include peer-influenced behaviour, late-night driving, speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, and texting or talking on the phone while driving. According to the report released by Discovery, 90% of young adults are likely to engage in dangerous driving and 60% of road accidents could be prevented if people practised safe driving.
Zulu began his racing career in 1999 after graduating from the Isondo Racing Academy. He stunned the racing world in the Vodacom Isondo Sport 2000 championship, where he won 13 out of 16 races. Zulu was part of the Sasol Steam Team in 2001 and won numerous awards, including the Guinness Achievement Award and the Wesbank and Goodyear Star of Tomorrow Award. Zulu has competed internationally with the likes of Mario Andretti’s grandson Marco Andretti in the Skip Barber Dodge Racing Series. In August 2007, he was appointed as the commercial manager for A1 Team South Africa, which competes in (and hosts a race for) the A1GP, which is known as the world cup of motorsport.
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