Rossi leads race for safety

After meeting Prodi and Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri at a recent ceremony to award Italy’s top athletes, seven-time world motorcycling champion Valentino Rossi agreed to be the sponsor of a road-safety media campaign. Experts are alarmed at the number of deaths caused by road accidents here, especially at weekend, when high speeds and alcohol make for the so-called ‘Saturday Night Slaughter.’ In 2004 there were 5,625 deaths on Italy’s roads, compared to 3,371 in Great Britain.