Victorian motorists travelling to this weekend’s inaugural AFL Gather Round in South Australia are being urged by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) to plan ahead and take care on the roads.
Chief Executive of TAC, Joe Calafiore said that with every AFL game being held in Adelaide this weekend, thousands of Victorian football fans were expected to spend the next few days of the school holidays road tripping across the border and home again.
Mr Calafiore said Gather Round was an exciting weekend for footy fans, but urged Victorians heading to South Australia to look out for each other on the roads and get home safely.
“Teamwork is important on and off the field – we all have a role to play in keeping our roads safe,” Mr Calafiore said.
“Remember to drive to the conditions, take regular breaks, put the phone away, never drink or drug drive, and always wear a seatbelt.”
He urged motorists travelling long distances to get a good night’s sleep before driving, allow plenty of time, slow down, remove distractions and take breaks.
Mr Calafiore said fatigue was a major cause of crashes, particularly on regional roads, with TAC data showing tired driving contributed to 16-20 per cent of all road crashes in Victoria.
“Long journeys can be challenging and tiring, especially when driving on unfamiliar roads,” the Chief Executive of TAC said.
“Don’t let fatigue be the cause of a tragedy this weekend; make sure you plan your trip ahead of time and factor in rest breaks along the way,” he said.
“If you find yourself daydreaming, missing exits or drifting from your lane, take a break from the road and change drivers if you can.
“There are plenty of places to stop all throughout the State, take your time so you can get to your destination safely.”
Mr Calafiore said that to encourage motorists to take a break, the TAC was operating ‘Pause Stop’ sites on Friday 14 April (Green Lake Rest Area, Bungalally – outbound) and Monday 17 April (Dimboola – inbound), where people could enjoy a barista-made coffee, comfortable deck chairs for a 15-minute power nap and football themed activities to entertain the kids.
He said Pause Stop locations and fatigue messaging would be further promoted on local league social media channels and to Victorian Gather Round ticket holders via email.
