PARENTS of primary school children are the focus of a new campaign to save young lives on Victorian roads.
Roads and Road Safety Minister Luke Donnellan has launched the Transport Accident Commission’s Parental Role Modelling campaign, highlighting the role parents play in shaping the driving behaviour of their children.
The campaign aims to reduce road trauma among drivers aged 18 to 25, who only make up 12 per cent of drivers in Victoria yet account for around one in five deaths.
It follows international research linking the driving style of parents with that of their children in their first year on their P-plates.
Actions like speeding or talking on the phone while driving are things children might pick up from the back seat without parents being aware.
Included as part of the campaign is a TV commercial where a young boy attached to puppet strings mimics the erratic behaviour of his father, illustrating the power of parental role modelling.
This is the first time the TAC has directly targeted parents of primary school children in order to reduce road trauma, with parents of children aged 5 to 12 the primary audience.
The campaign is part of a commitment to improve safety for young drivers with a Road Safety Starts Early plan.
The plan includes building the world’s first dedicated road safety education complex – the Crash and Trauma Education Centre – and free defensive driver training for all Year 10 students.
