Young Victorians are being challenged to tackle road safety issues and help save lives through a short film competition from the Transport Accident Commission’s (TAC).
Opening entries for TAC’s 2023 Split Second Competition, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Melissa Horne said the competition gave young creatives an opportunity to produce impactful road safety campaigns that addressed issues relevant to their age group.
“This year, the competition is calling on Victorians aged between 18 and 25 to develop a script addressing either the risks associated with drowsy driving or the importance of vehicle safety,” Ms Horne said.
“On top of a $5,000 cash prize, the winner will receive a $70,000 production budget to have their script produced by leading production studio Sweet Shop, before appearing in cinemas across the State,” she said.
“For the first time, Split Second will also award a runner-up with a $30,000 budget to have their idea produced and promoted across social media.”
Ms Horne said the competition came as Victoria experienced a horror start to the year on the State’s roads, with 77 fatalities – compared to 57 at the same time last year.
She said the number of young drivers and passengers dying on the State’s roads had increased, with 16 people aged between 18 and 25 killed, up from 11 at the same time in 2022.
“Vehicle safety and drowsy driving are both critical issues when it comes to improving the safety of young people on Victorian roads,” the Minister said.
“Over the last five years, more than 70 over cent of driver and passenger fatalities aged between 18 and 25 have been in vehicles more than 10 years old, and 54 per cent of drivers in this age group admit to driving while very tired.”
Ms Horne said applications for the competition were open until 4 May, with the winning film to premier at ACMI in October.
Information on TAC’s 2023 Split Second Competition can be accessed at this PS News link.
