THE TAC will be trackside at the Yarra Valley Cox Plate on Saturday 22 October to remind racegoers that the safest bet is to separate drinking from driving altogether.
TAC road safety manager Samantha Buckis said planning a safe way home should be racegoers’ number one priority if their race-day plan involved drinking alcohol.
“We want everyone at the Yarra Valley Cox Plate to have a great day out but, more importantly, we want everyone to make good choices and arrive home safely to their loved ones,” Ms Buckis said.
“In the excitement of the race day, it can be hard for people to keep track of how much alcohol they’ve consumed, so the safest way is to completely separate drinking from driving.”
While it is legal to drive with a blood-alcohol level under .05, Ms Buckis said any level of alcohol in a person’s system impairs their judgement and their ability to drive safely.
Research shows drivers with a blood-alcohol level of .08 are five times more likely to have a crash than before they started drinking.
At 0.12, their crash risk has increased tenfold.
“We know everyone will be planning how they’ll spend Yarra Valley Cox Plate and if that plan involved drinking, it needs to include a safe way home,” Ms Buckis said.
A number of public transport options are available to those heading to and from the event.
To get to the races, buses will travel from Lilydale Station to Yarra Valley Racing centre every hour between 10am and 1pm.
To get home safely, additional buses will take race-goers from the track back to the station on the hour from 3pm until the crowds have cleared.
On the day, TAC staff will be set up at exit points and trackside, providing free breath tests, tea, coffee, water and give-aways to those who have planned a safe way home.
Ms Buckis said everyone has an important role to play in reducing the number of people being seriously injured and killed on our roads.
“We all need to take responsibility for our action and look out for each other on Yarra Valley Cox Plate, and every other day, if we want a future where no person dies or is seriously hurt on our roads.”
