Sobering punchline at regional comedy festival

Published date: 23 Apr 2025

The TAC is teaming up with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow across regional Victoria this year, delivering important drink driving messages amongst the laughter.

The Roadshow kicks off on 26 April and will be delivering a dynamic comedic lineup to regional event venues across the state. The TAC will have a presence throughout the Roadshow, encouraging comedy fans to completely separate drinking alcohol from driving.

The TAC’s Roadshow campaign will tackle the vague rules of thumb many people refer to when deciding whether to drive after drinking alcohol – such as the speed at which they drink, how many standard drinks per hour, if they’ve had enough water, how much they’ve eaten, and even body size.

In addition to myth-busting drink coasters at Roadshow venues, designed to challenge common misconceptions and spark conversation, a sobering online vox pop series featuring Festival comedians will encourage audiences to plan ahead and make arrangements to get home safely.

With less public transport available in regional towns, driving is a common option when getting to and from events. The TAC is asking people who plan to drink alcohol to nominate a driver who isn’t drinking or, if they need to drive home, avoid drinking alcohol altogether to ensure everyone gets home safely.

The TAC’s CEO, Tracey Slatter said she was proud to continue the partnership with Melbourne International Comedy Festival, which provided an opportunity to engage directly with regional Victorians.

“Through this partnership with Melbourne International Comedy Festival Regional Roadshow, we’re working to educate road-users about the dangers of drink driving and ultimately create a culture in Victoria that prioritises safety on our roads.

“The message is simple - if you’re drinking, don’t drive. Plan ahead and arrange a safe alternative way of getting home,” said Tracey.

Drink driving remains a major factor in Victorian road trauma, including in regional areas, and while most people know the dangers and do the right thing, close to 1-in-5 drivers and riders killed are over the legal limit.

Research shows only small increments in alcohol consumption can result in significant impairment, including a weakened ability to judge distances and moving lights, a decrease in reaction times and an increase in the tendency to take risks. Impairment is detectable from 0.02 BAC and drivers with a 0.05 BAC have double the crash risk of a sober driver.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Executive Director, Dylan Cole expressed the importance of the Festival’s partnership with the TAC.

"After a night of laughs, it’s important to get home safely. The fun doesn’t have to stop when the show ends, but it should never come at the cost of your wellbeing. Our partnership with TAC helps drive this message home,” said Dylan.