Scultpure portrays crash vulnerability

A Thorpdale artist has created a giant car-shaped brain with legs to show Victoria’s youngest drivers how vulnerable they are when driving.

Emma Cornwall has created a sculpture that resembles a car made from brain matter. The sculpture is named ‘driving us mindless’ and highlights the vulnerability of people while they’re on the road.

Instead of wheels the car features legs that represent a human’s inability to compete with technology’s rapid development – showing the focus and control needed to drive safely despite advancing technology.

The sculpture also has a glass windscreen, doors and exhaust that appear to be consumed by the brain.

The Transport Accident Commission’s Green Man Grants supported Emma to complete the sculpture.

She worked on the sculpture at her home in Thorpdale receiving help from her parents, the local mechanic as well as Melbourne-based artist and mentor Katie Lee.

The Green Man Grants challenge young people between 18 and 25 to create a project that sends a strong road safety message to their peers.

The projects have to fit in with the briefs vehicle safety, vulnerability and shared responsibility.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said the grants challenged recipients to think outside the box to spark conversations between young people and educate them on the dangers they face when they’re behind the wheel.

“It’s fantastic to see young people like Emma thinking about road safety and developing new and innovative ways to share crucial messages.”

TAC chief executive officer Joe Calafiore said young drivers were one of the highest risk groups on roads with inexperience, lifestyle factors, risktaking behaviour and using older, less safe cars making them vulnerable to crashes.