Victorians board the big truck on Road to Respect
Thousands of Victorian drivers are set to change their behaviour around trucks as a result of visiting the Road to Respect campaign truck, Minister for Roads Terry Mulder said today.
Initial feedback from the first month of the campaign has been released after the truck’s appearance at the Royal Melbourne Show, showing an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the key messages of greater respect between car and truck drivers.
Over 5,700 Victorians have already experienced the Road to Respect Roadshow, with the campaign truck visiting Chadstone Shopping Centre, Mildura, Bendigo and the Royal Melbourne Show since it was launched by Mr Mulder at Birrarung Marr.
Mr Mulder was delighted with the response from the public about the interactive and educational displays within the striking Road to Respect truck.
“Exit interviews show most visitors to the big truck are willing to change their behaviour after realising they were unaware of many of the physical limitations of trucks,” Mr Mulder said.
“Many were quite surprised by the distance required for a truck to stop and it’s been a great learning experience for them. “Don’t cut in front of trucks” is a pretty simple message.
“Ninety per cent of the visitors surveyed said they are now more aware of the importance of sharing the road safely with trucks.
“One father was so impressed with the truck experience that he drove home and returned to the truck with his three teenage sons,” Mr Mulder said.
Don Hogben, Director of Vehicle Management and Safety at VicRoads is encouraging Victorians to support the campaign by attending one of the remaining regional events or visiting the Road to Respect Facebook page.
“The campaign is only in its fourth week and already over 40,000 people have seen the online materials,” Mr Hogben said.
The Road to Respect Roadshow will continue on its journey around Victoria, as it visits Yarrawonga (5-6 October), Sunbury (13 October), Geelong (18-21 October) and Sale (2-4 November).
Information about the campaign is available at www.facebook.com/RoadToRespectRoadshow
