Michael Ferguson,Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Too many young Tasmanians are killed or seriously injured on our roads.
One of the causes is alcohol, which is a factor in about 17 per cent of fatalities or serious injury-crashes. Of that 17 per cent, 21 per cent are men aged between 17 and 25.
Today, we are launching a new version of the long-running ‘Real mates don’t let mates drink-drive’ campaign, which is an appeal to young men’s strong bonds of mateship.
This latest campaign encourages young men to intervene and stop a mate from driving after he’s been drinking. Words don’t have to be spoken, because a look can be just as powerful as words, particularly between friends.
Stopping a mate who has been drinking from driving could save his life and other people’s lives.
Driving after drinking does not come down to human error. There is a point where a decision is made to do it. This campaign gives young men a way to help a mate make the right decision.
This is one of the many targeted measures the Government is taking to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.
The Tasmanian and Australian Governments are spending a record $1.5 billion to create a safer road system by 2024.
On top of that, the Tasmanian Liberal Government is delivering $75 million to fund important projects under the Towards Zero Action Plan.
Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and drink-driving is never ok – we want young men to know that and to make sure their mates know that too.
The new ‘Real Mates’ campaign ad can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/GmmD9cQ4Xg4
