The karting track, a very personal story

After nearly two decades on the Board of Directors of the Automobile Club Luxembourg (ACL), Marc Pannacci is preparing to open a new chapter. The passionate engineer and pioneer of road safety looks back on his career, his projects, and his vision of mobility.

Your last ACL board meeting will take place on December 4. How did it all begin?

Marc Pannacci: That was almost 20 years ago, in 2004–2005. At the time, I was Managing Director, and a founding member of the Centre de Formation pour Conducteurs (CFC). The CFC project was unique in Europe. Before its creation in Luxembourg, only Finland and Sweden required additional compulsory training courses for novice drivers after obtaining their license. The then Minister of Transport, Robert Goebbels, wanted to locate the training center near Goodyear, and I was working there as PR Director, previously as a tyre testing engineer. He asked me, and of course I said yes. The ACL was a shareholder of the CFC, and some members already knew me. When I was offered a seat on the ACL Board of Directors, I didn’t hesitate for a moment and gladly took on the responsibility.

What convinced you to accept the offer?

There were synergies with my president, who headed the association of automobile importers. We joined forces. I was always driven by the idea of contributing to road safety and driver training. It was a unique opportunity to put my technical expertise and dedication at the service of a meaningful project.

Road safety has run like a common thread through your entire career…

Yes, and it goes back to a serious accident I had myself at the age of 18, just a few months after obtaining my driving license. At that time there were no seat belts, and I was driving a Beetle… We could have died. It marked me for life. I realised that safety begins in the mind, not just behind the wheel. People take unnecessary risks, especially when you’re young and want to impress others. That is when I began thinking about education and prevention.

There is a lot of talk about ‘Vision Zero’. Is it a realistic goal?

For me, it is the only acceptable goal: zero fatalities, zero serious injuries. When educating young people, you cannot set any other goal. You can’t say “that’s unrealistic,” otherwise you give up. And just look at the numbers: in 1970, Luxembourg had 132 road deaths. Last year, there were 18. This year, a single accident took five lives, including young people. We cannot be content with telling ourselves “It’ll be fine.” Accidents are not fate. We must continue this path until there are no more fatalities and no more serious injuries.

How can this be achieved?

Everything counts: continuous traffic education from an early age, further training after the driving test, infrastructure, technology, controls and sanctions. Speed cameras, for example, have saved thousands of lives. In France, the number of fatalities has halved. And we must teach responsibility: understanding what driving really means. It’s not only about moving forward; it means taking responsibility for your own life and the lives of others. In driving school, you don’t learn how to recover a car from skidding, you learn how to prevent it from skidding in the first place. Speed kills, and speed puts you in danger.

Then there is technology. Systems like ABS or ESP have saved lives. But we must not believe they can override the laws of physics. And I do not believe that people take more risks simply because their vehicles are equipped with such systems.

Finally, there is infrastructure, which must reduce the consequences of accidents. Anyone can run off the road, and it should not lead to fatal outcomes. Everything is interconnected, and we must continuously work on the five pillars: education and training, awareness and responsibility, infrastructure, technology and conviction. The main causes of accidents are excessive speed, alcohol and drug abuse, fatigue, and increasingly distraction at the wheel. This must be repeated again and again, because people quickly forget.

Coming back to the ACL: what has been the biggest challenge in the past 20 years?

The transformation from an automobile club to a mobility club. This is a significant development. Today, the ACL no longer focuses solely on cars: we talk about pedestrians, cyclists, travel, roadside assistance at home… The range of services has expanded. I had already anticipated this shift in my school projects: 15 years ago, we launched initiatives in secondary schools under the theme “Mobility and Road Safety,” not just “Road Safety.” For me, this is the club’s greatest challenge.

And your personal passion project within the ACL?

That would be the karting track in Mondercange, which has a very personal meaning for me. I designed the layout when I was 20. Back then, I was still a student, fascinated by cars and racetracks. My father was an architect, and I was working on plans for a car museum with an integrated karting circuit. The then owner of the land, Mr. Piazza, had a large collection of classic cars and wanted to build a museum. The sketches still exist. In the end, the museum was never built, the cars were sold, but the track was constructed according to my drawings.

When the ACL purchased the site, I handed over all my original sketches. They are still stored somewhere in the ACL building. This project is symbolic for me because it connects my youthful passion with my professional journey. Now we are thinking about the future of the karting track, and I think that’s wonderful, the circle has come full circle. It’s pure coincidence, but a beautiful form of continuity.

At that time, I dreamed of becoming an architect, but life led me to the automotive industry and to tyres. This little racetrack project reflects my career: a passion that has accompanied me throughout my life.

Why are you leaving the Board now?

Normally, one remains until the age of 75. I am leaving two years earlier. I had considered stepping down earlier, but then a new CEO arrived, and I wanted to support the club during this transition. It was also decided to make room for younger members and to reduce the size of the board. That is a good thing, but the diversity of skills must be maintained: technology, law, finance, safety… Covering all these areas is essential for an association. I have always appreciated this about the board: the diversity of its members, the differing perspectives they bring, and the unique expertise they create together for the ACL, which, let us remember, is not a company but an association serving its members. We do not seek to maximise profits. Our shareholders are, in a way, the members, and we must ensure the quality and breadth of the services we offer. To achieve that, we need new and diverse ideas and space for young people.

What will you do now?

I can’t say that serving on the board took up my entire everyday life. I was never bored. But to answer your question: I have several travel plans and three cars to restore. I will have time for my family. And I have always loved learning and creating, so I look forward calmly to whatever comes next.

How do you see the future of the ACL?

The club has chosen the right direction: mobility. But the future is complex: electricity, hydrogen, synthetic fuels… People are confused. I have been driving electric for 10 years: less noise, less pollution, relaxed driving. It’s a good thing. Cars will not disappear. Individual mobility will not vanish. However, individual driving may one day be replaced by automated driving. And we must also think about urban coexistence, shared spaces, quality of life. We can no longer allow 20,000 cars to race past residential buildings at 90 km/h every day. This is a matter of comfort, but also of safety.

In summary, the ACL must continue to advise its members, influence policymaking, and above all defend the quality of life of the entire population.