TAC and Surfing Victoria team up on road safety

THE Transport Accident Commission will be on the ground at the 2025 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach to highlight the danger of texting and driving to more than 35,000 surf fans.

An expanded partnership between the TAC and Surfing Victoria will aim to discourage young people from partaking in phone use while driving.

The interactive campaign will feature taglines like ‘The Text Can Wait’ and No Txt, No Wrecks, taking a light-hearted approach to the idea of texting while surfing, resulting in crashes or wipeouts.

The TAC’s presense at the World Surf League event will include an interactive activity where participants attempt to play a video game, Kelly Slater Pro Surfer while being challenged by distractions, such as a mobile phone placed in the middle of the screen, text message notifications and phone call ring tones.

TAC chief executive officer Tracey Slatter said she looked forward to starting this new partnership at the Rip Curl Pro.

“We know that mobile phone distractions are a major contributor to road trauma and this new campaign is a unique and engaging way of reminding people of the dangers.”

Victorian surfers regularly travel to beaches on the state’s regional road network.

TAC research suggests 55 per cent of 18 to 25-year-olds and 66 per cent of 26 to 39-year-olds admit to using their phone while behind the wheel.

Surfing Victoria chief executive officer Adam Robertson said the organisation was proud to help spread road safety messaging to surfers and surf fans.

“We know that surfers spend a lot of time driving searching for waves. This campaign will help drive awareness of the risks of distracted driving,”

“It only takes a short glance to miss what’s happening on the roads and choosing to pick up the phone while driving is putting everyone at risk,” Bellarine MP Alison Marchant added.

“Safe driving is everyone’s responsibility, and it is the simple decisions like deciding not to pick up the phone that will save lives and reduce crashes.”