Breath of Life Festival sponsor RACT is urging all young Tasmanians travelling to the event not to
take any unnecessary risks over the long weekend, to play it safe and conduct a basic maintenance
check of their vehicles.

RACT spokesperson Trent Sayers said before leaving for the festival, people should undertake some
basic maintenance checks, such as ensuring tyres are at the correct pressure, headlights, tail lights
and indicators are all functioning and that the oil level in the car is correct, something particularly
important for those travelling long distances.

“It is incredibly important to do these types of checks and can be the difference between spending
your time standing by the roadside waiting for mechanical help, or seeing a highly anticipated act at
the festival,” Mr Sayers said.

Mr Sayers said it was important for festival goers to plan for the whole trip and asked people not to
travel in a convoy as they can be frustrating for other road users, particularly if it contains a P Plater
restricted to the 80km/hr speed limit.

“Rather than travelling in a convoy, plan ahead and agree to certain locations along the travel route
to meet up with friends to avoid frustrating other road users,” he said.

The renewed call for safety over the weekend comes off the back of research released by RACT
Insurance revealing young Tasmanians are taking unnecessary risks behind the wheel, with a fifth
confessing to regularly exceeding speed limits and using electronic devices.

The results showed 19 per cent of those aged 18 – 29 regularly checked messages and emails on
their phones while driving, up from 13 per cent last year and more than double that of the nearest
age group (aged 30 – 39).

Mr Sayers said the fact this statistic had jumped six per cent in 12 months was very concerning and
showed that younger generations, who are growing up with mobile technology, are taking more
unnecessary risks behind the wheel.

“Driving can be dangerous even when you’re paying full attention to the road conditions, so to
attempt to text or check emails while you’re in control of a moving vehicle is incredibly risky
behaviour,” he said.

Mr Sayers said the research also revealed more than one in five drivers aged 18 – 29 regularly drove
above the speed limit – more than double the overall rate for Tasmania.

“Twenty-two per cent of those in this age bracket also admitted to using their phones regularly
without hands free devices, which was again up on the previous year’s result by six per cent and
more than triple the State’s average of just seven per cent,” he said.

Mr Sayers said one split second of inattention was all it took for an accident to occur and it was the
responsibility of all those educating younger drivers to reinforce the dangers of speeding and
inattention.

“All drivers have a responsibility to their fellow road users to drive with care and diligence, which
starts by correcting these potentially fatal behaviours,” he said.

“For those heading home after the festival, please remember to never try to drive when tired
likewise, when setting off make sure you aren’t overtired.

“If you are driving a long way to get home from the festival, please share the driving, take regular
breaks and stop somewhere for lunch.”
RACT spokesperson Trent Sayers