VISITOR Information Centres in Hamilton, Dunkeld and the Grampians are set to be part of a new initiative to combat the road toll.

Victoria’s leading tourism and road safety bodies have joined forces to tackle fatigue-related road trauma and help people stay safe when traveling across the state.

A new partnership between the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) will see the TAC’s popular Pause Stop program piloted as a permanent resource across Victoria’s comprehensive Visitor Information Centre network.

New TAC Pause Stops will initially pop up at 11 accredited Visitor Information Centre locations, where visitors will be greeted with a range of resources to help them plan a safe onward journey, as well as activities for the kids.

Victorians are being urged to plan ahead and drive safely these school holidays and beyond, as the number of lives lost on the state’s roads reaches 125, an increase from 104 at the same time last year.

Fatigue is a major cause of death and injuries on Victorian roads, with TAC research showing that driving while tired is a factor in around 20 per cent of road crashes.

The partnership will provide a unique platform for the TAC and VTIC to engage with the millions of people who stop at Visitor Information Centres each year on key road safety issues, such as drowsy driving.

“Victoria is fortunate to have such a great network of Visitor Information Centres and they are the ideal location to engage with traveling motorists on how to ensure they continue their journey safely,” parliamentary secretary for transport, Vicki Ward said.

The pilot Visitor Information Centres will also include Benalla, Bendigo, Echuca/Moama, Frankston, Geelong and Bellarine, Heathcote, Melbourne Visitor Hub at Town Hall, Phillip Island, and Prom Country in Foster.

The pilot campaign will run until December and there will be a feasibility assessment into extending the partnership and including the entire network of 62 Visitor Information Centres across the state.

Travellers will be directed to the Pause Stop locations using the highly recognisable yellow ‘i’ signage depicting Accredited Visitor Centres along key regional travel routes or online at tac.vic.gov.au/pausestop