New TAC Campaign Urges Community to Wipe off 5

03 Aug 2013

The Wipe off 5 campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of low-level speeding, includes social media activity, community participation activities and a communications campaign featuring famous AFL number 5’s, Chris Judd and Nick Maxwell.

A state-wide road show of the Wipe off 5 message will also run throughout August, visiting about 20 towns and cities in a bid to capture the community’s attention.

When the campaign arrives in their town, residents will be encouraged to sign their name on life-size letters spelling out ‘Wipe off 5’ to show their commitment to reducing low-level speeding. 
 
TAC CEO Janet Dore urged the entire community to back the campaign which will help save lives.

“About 100 hundred people die on our roads every year in crashes where speed was a contributing factor and this is just not acceptable,” Ms Dore said.

“We’re asking all of you to take an active role in helping us drive down the road toll and one way you can do this is by sticking to the speed limit.”

For the first time the TAC is asking Victorians to take an active role in one of their campaigns, by showing how they will Wipe off 5 and sharing their ideas on social media.

With five $5000 prizes on offer for the best ideas, the TAC wants Victorians to put their thinking caps on to come up with the most creative way to articulate the Wipe off 5 message in their daily life and share it online at www.wipeoff5.com.au or on Twitter or Instagram with #wipeoff5 attached.

Whether it’s football clubs wiping off the number 5 from one of their player’s backs’, gym instructors wiping off 5 minutes from their classes or school kids wiping off the number 5 from their math display, Ms Dore said the brief required just one thing: creativity.

“We want every Victorian to come up with a way they can represent the Wipe off 5 message,” Ms Dore said.

“Leaving the house five minutes earlier, to ensure you aren’t rushing on your way to work, could be one way to help you avoid the temptation to speed.”

At the end of Wipe off 5 month, one winner will be awarded in each of the following categories: Best individual, best group, best sporting club, best work place, and best school entry.

“We know that many drivers and riders travel just a few k’s over the limit, but if every Victorian stuck to the speed limit less people would die on our roads,” Ms Dore said.

“Traveling five kilometres over the limit in a 60 km/h zone doubles your risk of crashing.

“This campaign is just a fun way to remind Victorians of that important message.”

The campaign will culminate in a weekend of road safety-related activities at football matches across Victoria from 22-25 August.

Ms Dore said the shift in focus by the TAC to invite the community to actively participate
in the campaign was brought about for a range of reasons.

“The recent launch of Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy highlights a concerted effort by all road safety partners to involve the community in the fight against road trauma,” Ms Dore said.

She also said the TAC had been observing overseas jurisdictions, including Sweden and the Netherlands – which have some of the lowest road tolls in the world.

“We believe that our long-term vision to have nobody killed or seriously injured on our roads is achievable.

“But, we cannot achieve it without the full support of the community and that means every single Victorian taking ownership of the road safety issue.

“We need your help to address this problem that affects all of us,” she said.

The TAC spends about $1 billion every year on support services for those affected by road trauma and accepts about 19,000 claims each year from people injured in crashes.

The television commercials featuring famous number 5’s, Judd and Maxwell, were shot in Melbourne and aim to increase the community’s awareness of the Wipe off 5 message. The ads will air from Monday, 5 August.

Entries for the competition, which opens today and closes on 31 August, will be published online at www.wipeoff5.com.au

For further information please contact Sarah Henderson on 0429 294 262