TAC asks motorists to make their road trip a part of the holiday

21 Dec 2016

As Victorians prepare for their summer holidays, the Transport Accident Commission is asking motorists to consider turning the road trip to their destination into part of their holiday.

The call aims to prevent fatigue-related crashes, accounting for about one-in-four fatalities on the state’s roads.

TAC road safety manager Samantha Buckis encouraged drivers to research the route to their holiday destination and pencil in stops at attractions along the way.

“Every safe road trip starts with a good night’s sleep and a plan and if you’re going to be covering a fair bit of ground, you need to take a rest from driving every two hours,” Ms Buckis said.

“Victoria is a beautiful part of the world so it makes sense to research the attractions you can stop at on the way. As well as making the trip more enjoyable and seeing some great sights, it’s an opportunity to get out of the car, freshen up and swap drivers if possible.”

Ms Buckis said, while it was important to stop and rest, drivers still needed to be mindful of the total amount of time they would be spending on the roads.

“Drowsiness is a sign that your body is falling asleep and if you do start to feel drowsy, the only safe option is to pull over,” Ms Buckis said.

“Sleep results from a chemical process and when drowsiness sets in, it’s a sign that you are heading towards a point where no amount of coffee or winding the window down will stop you from falling asleep,” Ms Buckis said.

Research shows that being awake for 17 hours has the same effect on your driving ability as a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of 0.05. Going without sleep for 24 hours has the same effect as a BAC of 0.1, double the legal limit.

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to be focused and aware while on the roads. We’re asking drivers to make a choice not to drive when tired, or to plan their trip so they can avoid fatigue entirely.”

For more information on avoiding driver fatigue and planning a safe road trip