Festival-goers receive chilling reminder from Roadtrip Forever

Festival-goers receive chilling reminder from Roadtrip Forever

A young music fan who underwent brain surgery after a serious car crash has backed an innovative online TAC campaign for festival-goers.

22-year-old Adele Brookes said the first thing she thought about after waking from an eight day coma last May, was whether she had missed the Groovin’ the Moo music festival.

Adele is supporting the TAC’s Road Trip Forever campaign ahead of the Australia Day long weekend as many young people head on road trips across the state. 

The interactive online video at roadtripforever.com takes users on a virtual road trip to a bush music festival where they and their travel companion, chosen from their Facebook friends list, are seen enjoying the time of their lives before the trip turns to tragedy.

Nearly 100,000 people have clicked onto the site since it went online last March, including 10,000 shares on Facebook and Twitter. 

TAC Project Co-ordinator Samantha Collins encouraged music fans to ‘take the trip’ with a friend for a realistic and powerful festival experience.

“The online videos are powerful stories and as you and your Facebook friends are immersed in them, the impact can be very emotive,” Ms Collins said. 

“Roadtrip Forever is specifically targeted at 18-25 year-olds, who make up a large percentage of festival-goers, like at Friday’s Big Day Out in Melbourne.

“This age group is still over-represented in Victorian road trauma statistics and Roadtrip Forever is a powerful reminder of the importance of having a good time but getting to and from festivals safely first,” Ms Collins said.

Adele said after fighting for her life in the Alfred Hospital, her experience was a reminder of why planning road trips was so important. 

“Hopefully, Roadtrip Forever and other TAC campaigns can educate everyone on the crucial need to get home safely,” Adele said. 

"I’ve been able to recover and work my way back from brain surgery in the past eight months, but not everyone is as lucky."

Roadtrip Forever won Silver for Best Integration and Best Interactive at last year’s APAC Branded Content and Entertainment Awards in Sydney.

Supporting young Victorian drivers to reduce peer passenger distractions are priority actions in Victoria's new 10-year Road Safety Strategy. Find out more at roadsafety.vic.gov.au. 

For further information please contact Nick Price on 0439 433 847.

 

TAC Road Safety Project Co-ordinator Samantha Collins and TAC client Adele Brookes at the re-launch of Roadtrip Forever in St Kilda