A gut-wrenching reminder of lost lives
A CONFRONTING exhibition of personal items belonging to people who were either killed or seriously injured on Victorian roads has come to Geelong.
The Transport Accident Commission and Road Trauma Support Services Victoria developed the exhibition and campaign “Left Unfinished”, which tells the story of seven Victorians who lost their lives or had their lives changed due to road trauma, and the seemingly ordinary items they left unfinished or behind. The exhibition is on display at the Geelong Carousel on Eastern Beach until Sunday.
Each item is accompanied by the story behind them — told by a loved one of a person who lost their life, or a person who was injured.
TAC’s Jo Whyte said it was important to take the exhibition and campaign’s messages to regional Victoria, after its initial launch and housing at Melbourne Museum last year.
“Regional Victorians are over-represented in the number of fatalities we see and, tragically, the majority of those deaths are local people on roads close to their home,” Ms Whyte said.
“We’re urging people in Geelong to come and listen to and learn from these harrowing stories, which will serve as a reminder to all of us to never take life for granted when we get behind the wheel.”
People visiting the exhibition can learn the real-life stories behind the items.
A virtual augmented reality experience can also be found online via a QR code, at left unfinished.com.au.
RTSSV chief executive Bernadette Nugent said Left Unfinished was a tribute to the seven storytellers, their families and loved ones.
Last year, 126 people died on regional Victorian roads, compared with 85 fatalities in metro areas. In the Barwon South West region, 22 people lost their lives, including 10 in the City of Greater Geelong.