09 Sep 2016
The Transport Accident Commission has ramped up its drink driving message ahead of the Grand Final, with a new campaign asking Victorians to separate drinking from driving altogether.
The Separation campaign encourages Victorians to leave the car at home whenever they are planning to consume alcohol, even if their intention is to stop at one or two drinks.
TAC senior road safety manager Samantha Cockfield said any level of alcohol in a person’s system impairs their judgment and their ability to drive safely.
“It’s that time of year when people’s social calendars start to fill up so it is critical that people plan ahead and keep drinking separate from driving,” Ms Cockfield said.
“If you’re catching up with friends for a Grand Final barbecue and you know you will have a couple of drinks, the best plan is to leave the car at home and use alternative transport.”
Research shows drivers with a blood-alcohol level of .08 are five times more likely to have a crash than before they started drinking. At 0.12, their crash risk has increased tenfold.
“Police will tell you that every second drink driver who returns a low-range illegal BAC says they’ve added up their standard drinks and thought they were under the limit,” Ms Cockfield said.
“But it’s not about avoiding getting caught, it’s about getting safely home to your loved ones and the safest way to do that is to keep drinking and driving totally separate.”
The TAC last year changed the tone of its messaging to drink drivers, no longer labelling them “bloody idiots”. The slogan for the latest campaign is: Drinking. Driving. They’re better apart.
“The vast majority of Victorians already agree that drink driving is unacceptable - we don’t need to keep telling them that,” Ms Cockfield said.
“We want everyone to think about how they can make good decisions and get home to their loved ones safely.”
The TAC’s new drink drive message will be backed by additional enforcement, with Victoria Police out in large numbers between now and Christmas, targeting high-risk behaviours including drink driving.
Radio Edit
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https://soundcloud.com/tac-victoria/drinking-driving-theyre-better-apart-surgeon
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For more information contact Eliza Houghton 0466 362 416
Media queries only:
- Nicolas McGay, 0403 710 889 or Nicolas_McGay@tac.vic.gov.au
- Alex White, 0419 529 505 or Alex_White@tac.vic.gov.au
- Devon McGillicuddy, 0466 029 169 or Devon_McGillicuddy@tac.vic.gov.au
Please refer any other enquiries to:
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- Email: info@tac.vic.gov.au