Grey nomads and other motorists are being urged to stop more often at more regional towns in order to experience rural hospitality … and to keep them safer on the open road
The Motor Accident Commission and South Australian Tourism Commission have joined forces The ‘Worth the Stop’ campaign whereby banners at gateways to towns across the state will urge drivers to take a break and a good look around.
The signs will show enticing features of the towns in what officials hope will be a win-win – boosting tourism while reducing accident risks by getting weary drivers to have a refreshing break.
The new campaign will see the Motor Accident Commission change billboards on its statewide road safety Regional Banner Network with new posters proclaiming the town up ahead ‘Could save your life’.
The Adelaide Advertiser reports that examples include: “Kingston could save your life” with imagery of Larry the Lobster; “Monarto could save your life” featuring an inquisitive meerkat; and “Coonalpyn could save your life” with its now-famous silo portraits.
There are about 50 different town ads highlighting the local drawcards of the area.
The chief executive of the Motor Accident Commission, Trudy Minett, told the Advertiser that fatigue can be a killer for drivers.
“If people stop because of our message and see how great the town is they might come back and spend more time there,” she said. “Or if people visit it because of the tourism message they might stop again the next time they are driving through because they know how great the place is.”
We were in South Australia for 3 months last year and had a great time – really enjoyed the experience. However, one other thing that “could save your life” – better roads. Fair dinkum the roads we were on were a disgrace. Maybe we were just unlucky but we were not on ‘back roads’ so to speak but supposedly major roads between A and B. Having said that going back again this year with Kangaroo Island our major destination. Cheers
Sometimes finding enough room off the road to park can be an issue, especially if you have a big rig. Also walking distances between “sites to see” can sometimes be a bit far, (for those that have mobility issues), which means trying to find another parking spot.
When travelling, we always try to stop and support smaller towns, buying fuel, breakfast, lunch or a general stock up, but if you can’t park safely, or find you way around easily, sometimes it is easier to move on. Why mention Monarto, **“Monarto could save your life” featuring an inquisitive meerkat; **. It is over rated and too expensive to stop and rest, and no other facilities accessible unless you pay to enter.