Josh Denzel campaigns for young people to 'buckle up and enjoy the ride'

·         Presenter and television personality ‘buckles-up’ for new Direct Line seat belt safety film

·         Film questions why people would wear their harness on a 70mph theme park ride but wouldn’t wear a seat belt in a car travelling at the same speed

·         One in four¹ of those killed in a road collision weren’t wearing a seat belt

Love Island star and sports presenter Josh Denzel reveals he takes a ‘safety first’ approach in a new seat belt awareness campaign for Direct Line Car Insurance, where he encourages the public to “Buckle-up and enjoy the ride.”  

The presenter is making it clear how he feels about the use of seat belts and is encouraging drivers, particularly young males, to ‘buckle-up’ when travelling in a vehicle.

The 27-year-old has been chosen to front a major new social media campaign telling viewers “you wouldn’t dream of not wearing a harness on a rollercoaster travelling at 70 mph, so why risk being in a car without a seat belt?” Josh filmed the campaign on the Turbo Coaster at Brighton’s famed Pier and in additional locations around the town.

The video comes as a warning to drivers after a recent report from Direct Line and The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) highlighted more than a quarter (27 per cent) of those who died in cars on the roads in 2017¹ were not wearing a seat belt. Of the 787 people killed, over 200 were not wearing a seat belt.  This presents a worrying picture when combined with over 1,000 individuals being seriously injured in the same year for the same reason.

Josh Denzel,  Presenter, TV Star and Influencer, said: “I can’t understand why anyone would choose not to wear a seat belt that could save their life, especially after finding out that you are twice as likely to die in an accident if you don’t wear one.

“People would find it unimaginable to ride on a rollercoaster without a restraint and given most travel in cars a lot more than they do rollercoasters –there’s even more reason to ‘buckle up’ every time.

“I’m glad I’m able to use my influence to highlight the importance of wearing a seat belt. When I started driving, I definitely cared about what people in the public eye were doing, more than what people in authority were saying. With this in mind, I really hope that my work with Direct Line will help in getting the message out there.”

Alison Traboulsi, Social Media Editor, Direct Line, said: “The subject of wearing a seat belt is an extremely difficult educational message to get across, as the majority of people think that everyone wears one, when in fact one in fifty drivers fail to wear their seat belt. This combined with the volume of cars on the road and the number of miles travelled equates to a large number of potential accidents. Josh falls into the age demographic of those least likely to wear a seat belt and a challenging group to engage, so he felt like the perfect partner to urge people to listen.”   

To watch the Seatbelts Campaign video please visit the Direct Line Facebook, Twitter page or Insta page.

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

¹ Seat Belts: The Forgotten Road Safety Priority– report by PACTS, and Direct Line.

For further information please contact:

Emma Cava
PR Manager
Direct Line Group

Tel: 01651 831 715
Email: emma.cava@directlinegroup.co.uk

Samantha Stewart

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

samantha.stewart@citigatedewerogerson.com

0207 025 6497

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 3761 or visiting www.directline.com/car-cover