TAC obstacle course shows how quickly distractions can lead to disaster

08 Mar 2013

Media Release: 8 March, 2013

The TAC’s new distractions campaign will be brought to life this weekend with a blind obstacle challenge opening to the public today.

The 27-metre streetscape will challenge people heading to the Moomba Festival to complete the hazardous course while blindfolded.

The “Blind Run” highlights how quickly distractions lead to disaster, by showing how road users would be effectively blind for 27 metres, if they took their eyes off the road for just two seconds.

The Blind Run will be at Southbank Spillway until Sunday, challenging people to walk through a streetscape blindfolded, distracted by music, road noises, pedestrians and cyclists.

It’s part of the TAC’s Distractions campaign now screening on television, reminding road users of the potentially disastrous consequences of even brief distractions. 

TAC Acting CEO Clare Amies said the Blind Run was an interactive way to highlight the dangers of distractions on Victorian roads, especially for young road users who used devices to stay ‘connected’ at all times.

“A recent youth study of 16 to 30-year-olds by Lifelounge Urban Market Research (UMR) shows that 41% of those surveyed in Australia couldn’t live without the internet, and 28% who couldn’t live without their smart phone,” Ms Amies said.

“We see that reliance on technology every day on our roads, with 20 to 30-year-olds the biggest offenders for mobile phone use while driving.”

“I think people will be really by surprised to see just how far they travel, even if they take their eyes off the road for a couple of seconds.”

Ms Amies said the State Government’s tougher penalties for mobile phone use showed road users that getting caught using a mobile phone wasn’t worth the risk.

“Road users need to learn that distractions are a concern for the whole Victorian community because every road user is vulnerable when they take their eyes of the road,” Ms Amies said.

The TAC’s new distractions campaign was launched with the support of Mulwala’s Vicki Richardson, whose 20-year-old daughter Brooke died in a car crash late last year. Brooke’s mobile phone showed that she had been texting and driving moments before the accident.

Increasing the serious impact of distractions is a priority action in Victoria's new 10-year Road Safety Strategy, which aims to reduce the road toll by a third. To find out more visit www.roadsafety.vic.gov.au. 

For more information: TAC Media Adviser Emily Bogue on 0429 416 778.