Edinburgh and Scotland scrum half Mike Blair has backed a new website called Safe Drive, Stay Alive designed to educate young Scottish drivers which was showcased at Murrayfield today.

Blair and international team-mate Dougie Hall attended a presentation at the President’s Suite where they saw a moving demonstration outlining the pitfalls of reckless driving and how it affects youngsters in Scotland.

And Blair admits he was affected by the bleak reality of automobile accidents put across by a team of experts and revealed he hopes the scheme will make Scottish youngsters think twice when they get behind the wheel of a car.

Blair said: “The presentation usually takes an hour, but the one we saw lasted seven minutes, yet the point still came across strongly and it is not nice stuff to watch.

“You see first hand what happens as a result of careless driving and it is certainly something to learn from. I was touched by the whole thing.”

Although famed for his speed to the breakdown and quick pass, Blair stressed that he keeps his high velocity performances on the pitch and not on Scotland’s roads.

He added: “During the presentation there was a rally driver who hit the nail on the head when he said; ‘speed within controlled environments’.

“As rugby players we keep the power and speed on the pitch and control ourselves off it.”

Scottish Government minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson MSP spoke at the successful presentation and you can find out more by visiting www.safedrivestayalive.org