A new road safety campaign featuring hometown hero and V8 Supercar driver Todd Hazelwood is warning South Australians to leave the racing to the professionals this week.
The Malinauskas Government has partnered with the Get Home Safe Foundation ahead of this week's VAILO Adelaide 500 to release a campaign aimed at encouraging eventgoers, particularly men, to think about their behaviours while driving.
The plea to 'keep it off the road' comes as South Australia Police identifies road user behaviour, such as not wearing a seatbelt or speeding, as a factor in many of the crashes on the state's roads each year.
The 'What Happens On The Track, Stays On The Track' campaign will include a series of powerful videos where Hazelwood relives his major 2017 crash and reminds viewers that street racing is not only dangerous but illegal.
The campaign will feature across social media, digital advertising including on free-to-air streaming platforms and messaging at the track. It serves as a reminder that you may not walk away unscathed from a crash on the roads the way professionals do at the track.
Tragically, 101 lives have been lost on South Australian roads this year compared to 61 lives at this time last year.
The State Government's THINK! Road Safety partnership program forms part of South Australia's Road Safety Action Plan 2023-25.
Racegoers can catch free and easy public transport to each day of the VAILO Adelaide 500, with their valid entry ticket.
Visit www.adelaidemetro.com.au to plan your journey.
As put by Joe Szakacs
Tragically, we have lost 101 lives on our roads this year while 742 people have been seriously injured. Every life lost is tragic – even a single life lost on our roads is one too many.
Our data shows too many of these fatalities are men, with 73 losing their lives on our roads this year.
I want to thank Todd Hazelwood and the Get Home Safe Foundation for their leadership and advocacy. I am pleased to be alongside them to launch this powerful and emotive campaign to highlight the devastating consequences of street racing.
This week, and always, please take care on the roads and leave the racing to the highly trained professionals who will do it the controlled environment of Adelaide's renowned street circuit.
As stated by Todd Hazelwood, Supercars driver
When we make poor decisions or have accidents on the road, we never anticipate for something to go wrong. But when it does go wrong, the consequences are massive and unfortunately sometimes fatal.
The message couldn't be clearer, 'What happens on the track, stays on the track. Keep it off the road'. I want everyone to love and enjoy the world-class event of the VAILO Adelaide 500, but I want everyone to get home safely so they can come back for 2024 and beyond.
With the return of the VAILO Adelaide 500 last year I knew I needed to do something to remind our fans that they can enjoy the event without taking the experience outside of a controlled environment and onto public roads.
I am really proud to again partner with the Get Home Safe Foundation and the State Government to generate road safety awareness. Leave the racing to the professionals, keep our roads safe and don't let one decision be the reason you don't make it home or affect the lives of those we share the streets with.
