Grand Prix Mobile Cinema to Drive Road Safety Message

31 Mar 2006

Media Release - 31 March 2006

Victorians visiting the 2006 Formula 1 Foster’s Australian Grand Prix can be breath tested for free at the event at the TAC’s new mobile cinema.

Minister for the TAC, John Lenders, said the former booze bus had been given a makeover and will play short films with road safety messages to grand prix attendees.

“The mobile cinema will appeal to young Victorians and is the perfect place to encourage people to be safe on our roads,” Mr Lenders said.

“They will be able to relax in bean bags, catch a short film and use the free breath testers to check their blood alcohol reading if they have been drinking.”

In the last five years 416 young drivers and passengers, aged 16 to 25 years, have lost their lives on Victorian roads and 7496 have been seriously injured.

Victoria’s road toll currently stands at 82, compared to 100 for the same period in 2005, (a decrease of 18%).

Mr Lenders said the mobile cinema was an important way of educating young drivers about the dangers of drink driving.

“Innovative public education strategies like this will help young people become safer drivers,” Mr Lenders said.

“Combined with enforcement strategies we hope to reduce the road toll even further.”

The TAC mobile cinema will show films from the TAC’s ‘Make a Film, Make a Difference’ competition.

The competition, first launched in 2003, invites young film makers to submit ideas using the theme ‘your mate’s life is in your hands’. 

Two winning entries are selected each year and given a budget of $20,000 to turn their concept into a short film.

All visitors to the mobile cinema will also have the opportunity to enter a competition to win on-the-spot prizes or one of three cab charge vouchers valued at $500.

The mobile cinema, located at Brocky’s Hill will be at the Grand Prix every day of the four day event.