Vanessa on the road and online in summer 2009

29 Jan 2009

MEDIA RELEASE: 29 January 2009

The Transport Accident Commission’s mobile cinema Vanessa is gathering friends across cyberspace this summer.

Vanessa has launched her own MySpace page as she continues her "Stay Alive" tour at Victoria's music festivals.

Vanessa has been hitting all the summer festivals offering a place for festival goers to hang out, get a breath test, score some free stuff and make sure they can drive home safely.

Festival goers can catch Vanessa screening short films from the TAC’s Make a Film Make a Difference competition.

Vanessa’s MySpace friends can also find out about the latest festivals and win great prizes like free tickets and the chance to hang out with the hottest Australian acts.
The TAC’s Senior Manager of Road Safety David Healy said Vanessa’s MySpace page was another way of communicating important road safety messages to younger drivers.
“Sadly, more than a quarter of those who died on our roads in 2008 were aged between 16 and 25 years old,” Mr Healy said.
“Vanessa carries the message ‘your mate's life is in your hands’ so young people can hear the road safety message in a familiar environment.”
Vanessa’s next stops are Chill Island on February 1 and the St Kilda Festival on February 8.

 “If you’re making the journey to Phillip Island this weekend, rest up, don’t drive after drinking, go easy on the roads and remember to take breaks along the way”.

The TAC has the following tips for festival goers this summer:
• Eat regularly if you are planning to drink alcohol
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones
• Don’t drive if you’re unsure about your BAC levels- test yourself first at a free TAC breathalyser station
• Remember that your BAC can rise after you have stopped drinking
• Drinking the night before can affect your BAC the next day
• Avoid the confusion and leave the car at home.

Vanessa's page is at http://www.myspace.com/vanessaontour

For further information please contact Emily Bogue 0429 416 778.