Vanessa on the road to St Kilda

10 Feb 2011

MEDIA RELEASE: 10th February 2011

Music lovers heading to the St Kilda Festival this weekend have been urged by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) to pay Vanessa a visit.

Vanessa, a converted booze bus, will appear at the St Kilda Festival this Sunday, 13 February providing music fans with a place to chill out and sober up before planning their journey home.

This weekend Vanessa will provide St Kilda Festival goers with free breathalyser tests, a photo booth and tips for looking after your mates and getting home in one piece.

The St Kilda festival is one of Australia's best known and one of Melbourne's most loved events and Vanessa is arriving just in time to farewell festival goers and encourage a safe journey home. 

TAC Senior Manager of Road Safety and Marketing, John Thompson, said Vanessa's trip to St Kilda this Sunday is exciting for her.  "With an event as large and as popular as the St Kilda Festival, it is really exciting for us to have her down there getting the message across."

"Vanessa was designed to deliver road safety messages to young people at high risk events, and with so many heading to the St Kilda Festival it is a great opportunity to educate those most at risk."

"The 18-25 year old age bracket recorded a total of 70 fatalities in 2010, which is a staggering number and we are hoping that Vanessa will further promote the importance of safety on the road to those attending the festival on Sunday," Mr Thompson said.
"If you're unsure whether you are safe to drive, or if you just need some time out before departing, call in and see Vanessa."
Vanessa will be located on the St Kilda Esplanade, directly outside Bayview apartments until 8pm.

Vanessa's next stops include the Melbourne and Monash universities as part of their O-week celebrations later this month.

More information about Vanessa and her little sister Mini Vanessa can be found at http://www.facebook.com/ilikevanessa 

For more information contact the TAC's Stacey Oates on 5225 7517 or Sarah Henderson on 0429 294 262.