Community
17 January, 2025
TAC reminds racegoers to plan trip home
A NEW campaign is set to be rolled out across regional Victoria, encouraging Victorians to get home safely from country races, with a visit from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) slated for tomorrow’s Camperdown Cup.
The TAC’s “Ready” campaign with Country Racing Victoria will highlight the risks associated with driving to and from races when alcohol is involved, reminding racegoers they are only truly ‘ready’ once they have made plans to get home safely at the end of the day.
The new content features ‘everyday heroes’ of Ballarat who play significant roles in making a race day happen – a horse handler, an operations manager and a designated driver.
Country Racing Victoria (CRV) chairman Charles Armytage said it was “vital” for racegoers to plan ahead for their travel needs as well as their day at the races.
“CRV and country clubs remain committed to working with the TAC to promote this important educational message,” he said.
This year’s campaign follows a tragic year on Victoria’s roads in 2024, with 282 lives lost compared with 295 in 2023 - more than half of the fatalities in 2024 occurred in regional areas.
The campaign will be prominent on social media and in race book advertisements in the run-up to country race events across Victoria to highlight the various transport options available to those attending regional events, such as taxis, rideshares and shuttle buses.
Acting TAC CEO Sam Cockfield said the TAC was working closely with CRV to ensure there were adequate safe transport options for racegoers across Victoria.
The TAC will be present at more than 20 Country Cups, including tomorrow’s race, where punters will have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win $500 fuel vouchers and learn about the dangers of drink-driving.
“If you plan on having a drink at the races, taking a taxi, train, bus or lift home is your best bet,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said.
More than $1.1 billion is being invested until 2028 in road safety initiatives by the Allan Labor Government as part of a newly launched Road Safety Action Plan 2 to help prevent serious crashes and keep Victorians safe.
For more information on the campaign, visit the TAC website: tac.vic.gov.au/country-racing-victoria.
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