Country race-goers urged to ‘be races ready’ in new TAC campaign

24 Sep 2015

The Transport Accident Commission is reaching out to country Victorians with a new campaign urging racing fans to plan a safe way home from the track.

The new country television ad takes a light-hearted look at a young man's pre-races grooming ritual as he prepares to head trackside.

TAC road safety manager Liz Waller said the campaign came as regional Victorians prepared for a busy schedule of country race meets across the state.

With drink driving responsible for a quarter of all Victorian road deaths, the campaign encourages race-goers to 'be races ready' by planning a safe way home from the track.

"Having a fun day at the races is a popular pastime for country Victorians and for many of them drinking alcohol is part of that," Ms Waller said.

"If you are planning on drinking at the races, your plan needs to include a safe way home that doesn't involve driving."

The TAC has revamped its message to drink drivers with new campaigns that no longer tell offenders they are 'bloody idiots', instead reminding them they have 'a lot to lose' if they drive over the limit.

"Rather than talking to the few who are still doing the wrong thing, it's about bringing the entire community on board and making them think about the things that are really important to them," Ms Waller said.

"This new approach reminds anyone planning on drinking alcohol about their responsibilities to their loved ones and encourages them to plan a safe way home."

The new country racing campaign is backed by a ramped up police presence, with roadside breath testing coinciding with race meets. The increased enforcement is supported by a TAC grant to fund $650,000 worth of overtime hours for road safety policing over and above normal police operations from now until the end of the year.

Race-goers wanting to check their blood-alcohol level will be able to find TAC breath testing teams near the exit points at up to 60 regional meets this season.

Free giveaways, like bottled water and sunscreen, will also be available to help punters freshen up before hitting the road.

"It is really important we reach out to country race-goers as TAC research shows that regional drivers are more likely to drink and drive than residents in metropolitan Melbourne," Ms Waller said.

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