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Editorial from World Cup Magazine published 29th May 2018
Promotion of Looking After Our Mates Program and the new Drink Driving legislation that came into effect on 30th April.
The editorial below is an extract of the page from the World Cup Magazine produced by Star Weekly Newspapers who publish and distribute a 48 page full gloss magazine across the Western Suburbs. The print run was about 20,000 and bulk drop points included hotels, clubs, restaurants, supermarket chains, shopping centres and real estate offices across the areas of Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Wyndham, Melton, Brimbank and Sunbury.
Don’t blow away your licence
Tougher driving penalties now apply.
If you get caught driving over .05 you’ll lose your licence, need to complete a compulsory Drink Driver Program and get an alcohol interlock installed on re-licensing.
Chairperson of RoadSafe Westgate Jim Giddings said his road safety group is committed to supporting and conducting free road safety information session on drug and drink driving, such as “Looking After Our Mates” (LAOM). These sessions are delivered by fully trained and accredited facilitators approved by VicRoads.
The enjoyable, interactive one-hour sessions address:
- Drug and drink driving as road safety issues
- Effects of drugs and alcohol on the body and on performance
- Laws regarding drug and drink driving Calculating BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentrations)
- Strategies that can be used to avoid drug/drink driving.
“The main message is if you’re going to drink, don’t drive; if you’re going to drive, don’t drink,” Mr Giddings continued. “And always look after your mates.”
VicRoads-approved facilitator Mr Alan Nguyen said the aim of the program is to raise awareness of the effects of alcohol and drugs.
“LAOM can be delivered to a range of audiences,” said Mr Nguyen, “and is suitable for Year 12 students, but can be tailored to suit any business, organisations, sporting clubs, youth groups, community groups and workplaces.”
“These sessions explore a range of drink and drug driving road safety issues that are relevant to young people,” Mr Nguyen said.
The LAOM programs are free and address such issues as the definition of a mate; where mates come into play in social situations; the effects of alcohol and drugs on the human body; the police perspective on the effects of alcohol and drugs on social environments and society in general. The program also explains what interventions currently exist to keep the road toll low, booze and drug buses, breathalysers, seat belts, the definition of standard drinks and the role that sporting clubs and schools can play in raising awareness of drugs and alcohol and their effects.
The program touches on the programs and systems that encourage ongoing community education. Young drivers and potential young drivers have been made aware of the issues road safety, drink and drug driving and looking after your mates through the Looking After Our Mates (LAOM) sessions conducted each year.
For further information and bookings contact Alan Nguyen, phone 0433 829 000 or e-mail alan.nguyen0811@gmail.com.
RoadSafe Westgate advocates for road safety in the west of Melbourne. Members of RoadSafe Westgate include the City Councils of Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton and Wyndham. The road safety group receives program funding from VicRoads Community Road Safety Grants.
