10,000 Victorians Signed Up to Slow Down
The 10,000 Victorians who signed up to slow down on the roads this summer, have been officially applauded for showing their commitment to road safety at the MCG.
The TAC Slow Ball Challenge, launched in December last year by Premier Ted Baillieu, was fronted by Melbourne's two Twenty20 Big Bash teams, the Stars and the Renegades.
The Facebook campaign called on sports fans everywhere to sign up to slow down on the roads, and share their commitment with their mates.
Over four weeks, almost 10,000 Victorians – mainly young men took part in the challenge.
At the end of the campaign, two Victorians were rewarded for their efforts in gaining the most online support for slowing down. They were each presented with a reward of $5000 and given the chance to play a game of Slow Ball cricket at the MCG.
While the campaign is a fun, light-hearted promotion, every Victorian who entered the Slow Ball Challenge has taken a serious step towards helping reduce road trauma.
Last year, 79 Victorians aged 16 to 25 were killed on the roads, proving that young people are over-represented in road trauma and it is therefore necessary to test new ways to target them with road safety messages.
Empowering young people to speak up if they feel their mates are doing the wrong on the road, is one of the most important steps we can take towards lowering road tolls.
The Slow Ball Challenge was developed by the TAC and the Victorian Government to encourage young people to speak up, and educate the wider community on the dangers of speeding.