The Touring Automobile Club of Peru: 100 years promoting road safety and motorsport

The Touring Club began with a group of people interested in car racing who, before the club was founded in 1924, started touring by road in a time when there were hardly any roads. They had to blaze a trail through rough paths, and that's how they began traveling around Peru. The information they gathered was recorded on maps, which later served to open up roads in a later period. In this love for the country, for getting to know it, for promoting it, for traveling by car, they began to realize that when a car broke down on the road, they had no way of getting help. Thus was born the idea of forming the Touring Automóvil Club del Perú, to provide emergency assistance on the road, what we now call mechanical assistance. Years later, they affiliated with the International Automobile Federation (FIA), well known for motorsport, Formula 1, and all existing formulas. But beyond that, it promotes everything related to education and road safety, as well as road tourism. Today, we are representatives of the FIA in Peru, both in terms of mobility and the promotion of motorsport. I would say that the founders were very passionate about the country and also about car racing. I believe they combined these two things and, with such a complex geography as we have, they began to look for ways to connect different parts of the country. These roads were later mapped out, which initially made us very famous, allowing other people to travel along these identified routes. There is a very important phrase that our current president, Mr. Iván Dibós, said: "roads are to countries as arteries are to people." A fundamental factor was the founders' interest in maintaining a commitment to road safety and the promotion of motorsport. Over time, they began to diversify emergency assistance, emphasizing distinctive factors. For example, our drivers are also mechanics. This enables them not only to provide towing assistance but also to solve problems on the spot. This adds value because if someone is traveling from one place to another and needs assistance, they have the possibility to continue on their journey without giving up. This is a distinctive aspect that has been valued by our members over time. We are working strongly on a campaign called 'Helmet 40', in which we promote awareness among motorcyclists about the importance of having a certified helmet that can prevent death or serious injuries. It has been proven that, in the majority of accidents, serious injuries and fatalities result from head injuries. We have demonstrated the difference between a certified and non-certified helmet with a machine that simulates a fall at a specific speed. We continue our commitment to road safety. Currently, we have twelve thousand members. It is worth mentioning that in addition to the aforementioned topics such as road assistance and safety, we also have a recreation center in Conchán, where we provide recreational and sports services to our members. It is a family club, so our members can enjoy a recreational space for their families. At the national level, we have an agreement with the Ministry of Transport and Communications for the evaluation of applicants for a Class A driver's license, and with the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima for Class B. This falls within the framework of road safety, and as part of our centenary, it is a commitment that we are renewing with the country. In the world of driver's licenses, there are a thousand related issues, but we have persisted. Despite often reconsidering whether we should continue due to the many illegal aspects surrounding it, we have persevered because we have been pioneers in many aspects that the ministry has now adopted through its system. For example, the evaluation of concepts [to obtain a driver's license] through computers. This has already been incorporated into the evaluation center standard [of the MTC]. There is also the anonymous circuit evaluation. Evaluators position themselves at different points on the circuit, evaluate each individually, and the results are averaged in the system, not manually as is still done in many evaluation centers. Furthermore, the applicant is identified by a number, a batch, and a banner so that the evaluator does not know whom they are evaluating. Additionally, we have a system that randomly assigns evaluator locations each morning. This evaluation system project is currently being worked on by the Ministry of Transport and Communications to incorporate it into the national driver system. Additionally, as part of the centenary, the board of directors has agreed to start the process of ISO 37001 certification for the Evaluation Center, concerning anti-corruption and anti-bribery measures. With this, we aim to raise the evaluation standards and protect ourselves from corruption. Following the ISO certification, we are hiring a highly reputable company to implement an ethics hotline, so that those who identify corruption issues can report them through a channel not managed by us. Transparency is a topic of great interest to us and has allowed us to navigate these hundred years of existence and project ourselves into the next hundred. We have sports commissioners certified by the International Automobile Federation to ensure that races, held under the auspices of the FIA, comply with the established international code. Furthermore, we have full control over anti-doping in races, also promoted by the FIA, and have teams trained in this regard. Thirdly, we are promoting new talents, for example, in karting, who are the future drivers at higher levels. We are also advocating for the participation of women in motorsport, which is a policy of the FIA, not only to encourage them to be drivers, mechanics, leaders, but to be involved in all levels of motorsport. We have transitioned from being a car club to a people's club. Not everyone necessarily identifies with motorsport, but each and every one of us is a road user. As drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists. Our members don't have to be motorsport enthusiasts, but if they travel on the roads, it is important that they have road awareness. Exactly. In fact, many safety features in commercial vehicles today originated from motorsport: seat belts, helmets, car structures. These worlds are constantly interconnected. Therefore, the FIA, although best known for motorsport, also has this commitment to road safety. It is important to note that it is not only about the vehicle and the driver, but also about infrastructure, signage, and traffic lights. We have several plans. In August, we will host the FIA American Congress, with the FIA president and all high authorities of the International Automobile Federation in attendance. We will also have representatives from all regions worldwide and automobile club representatives from across the Americas. It is precisely because of our Centenary that we have been honored to host this Congress. How do we look to the future? We are centennial clubs, and the challenge is how we survive the upcoming years. We are focusing on expanding our presence outside of Lima. Due to the pandemic, we had to retract to strengthen ourselves and now we are ready to venture out again. We have a project for next year to have a presence in provinces, not only with assistance services but also concerning international driver's licenses, road safety issues, and the promotion of motorsport. We are very interested in providing technological alternatives that can promote road tourism and are working on a proposal in that regard, which we hope to launch at the beginning of next year. Additionally, we are emphasizing the participation of women in motorsport, which is a strong topic within the FIA, and we have a pending commitment in that area.