The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has launched a new campaign urging Victorians to rethink the speeds they drive at.<\/p>\n
The Rethink Speed campaign features a television advertisement reminding Victorians that speed doesn\u2019t always cause crashes but it always determines the level of injuries sustained.<\/p>\n
It depicts seven different outcomes in an incident between a young boy on a bike and a car approaching at seven different speeds.<\/p>\n
At the car\u2019s slowest speed, a collision is avoided altogether but other scenarios depict more serious outcomes as the speed increases, culminating in a scene where the car is wrapped around a pole with the bike flying through the air.<\/p>\n
TAC chief executive officer Joe Calafiore said Rethink Speed was the latest instalment in a series of new TAC road safety messages developed under Victoria\u2019s new Towards Zero approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis campaign has a message for all of us – that we need to be mindful of our surroundings and the conditions when choosing our travel speeds,\u201d Mr Calafiore said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs drivers and riders we can\u2019t control everything on our roads and we can\u2019t stop the unexpected but we can control the speeds we travel at. That can be enough to prevent serious injury or death.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than focussing on illegal speeding behaviour, \u2018Rethink Speed\u2019 encourages Victorians to choose to travel speeds that are safe, legal and appropriate for the conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeed limits don\u2019t determine the speed we should be travelling at. They set the maximum speed we are allowed to travel at and in reality it won\u2019t be safe at all times and in all conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that in any crash involving a car or motorbike, speed determines the level of injury. Increase your speed and increase the likelihood of severe injury or death in the event of a crash.\u201d<\/p>\n
The campaign will appear on television screens, roadside billboards, websites, radio and social media.<\/p>\n
View the TAC Rethink Speed video below.<\/p>\n