Big (safe) cardboard car rolls into Melbourne Museum

Published date: 11 Jan 2023

A life-size cardboard car has been parked at the Melbourne Museum’s Galleria in an effort to educate young Victorians and their parents or carers on the importance of vehicle safety technologies.

The Big (Safe) Cardboard Car exhibit which aims to educate visitors on the critical role of a variety of vehicle safety features, proven to save lives on Victorian roads.

One such safety feature is Auto Emergency Braking (AEB), which is estimated to reduce death and serious injury from rear end crashes by 27 per cent. AEB is designed to detect objects in a vehicle’s path and brake automatically when the driver can’t – helping lessen the impact of a crash and, in some circumstances, prevent the crash entirely.

Other safety features people can expect to learn about include Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA), reversing cameras, and blind spot warning.

Visitors of the school-holiday program are encouraged to inspect the Big (Safe) Cardboard Car, watch the time lapse 'making of' clip on the big screen and participate in hands-on activities to understand the value of vehicle safety.

The exhibit also promotes the Transport Accident Commission’s How Safe Is Your Car website, inviting adult visitors to guess the safety rating of their current vehicle – which they can then check on the website.

The exhibition is open between 10:00am and 3:00pm daily (excluding Sundays), until 20 January – with the centrepiece of the family-friendly program intricately designed by Australian cardboard architect Tobias Horrocks.

Removing unsafe vehicles from the road and promoting vehicle safety technologies is a priority of the Victorian Government’s Road Safety Strategy, which aims to halve road deaths and reduce serious injuries by 2030.

While at the museum, visitors can also discover the science behind crashes and take a trip into the future of travel at the Road to Zero Experience Space, located on the lower ground floor of the Melbourne Museum.

The Road to Zero complex, was established in 2018 as part of the Labor Government’s $146-million Young Driver Safety Package and developed by the TAC in partnership with Museums Victoria.

Further details about the Road to Zero school holiday program can be found on the Melbourne Museum website.

Quote attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne

“By encouraging young Victorians to embrace road safety at an early age, we know we can make a real difference in continuing to drive down the road toll in the years ahead.

Quote attributable to TAC Acting CEO Liz Cairns

“Not all cars are created equal, and some cars are safer than others, so please investigate and buy the safest vehicle in your price range. Everyone can, and should, visit howsafeisyourcar.com.au to compare vehicles.”

Quote attributable to Founder of Fold Theory Tobias Horrocks

“I love how it turned out, and the fact that it encourages people to think about what they can do to make our roads safer for everyone makes it even more rewarding.”

Quotes attributable to Museums Victoria Director of Exhibitions and Audience Experiences Linda Sproul

"Since launching Road to Zero at Melbourne Museum in 2018, around 200,000 children and young adults have explored the physics of motion and the limits of the human body through immersive technology in a world-first learning experience.”

“We are delighted to partner with TAC to present important programs and experiences that help our audiences understand the science behind safer behaviours and vehicle safety features."