Planning a great night out means planning a safe trip home

If you’re planning a night out, you also need to plan a safe trip home - and you could win a new swag just by sharing your Plan B.
Warmer weather and the end of the year mean it’s celebration time for many, and a Transport for NSW initiative is aimed at making this summer the safest ever on our roads.
Patrons at more than 336 pubs, clubs and bottle shops across western NSW will be able to enter a competition at each participating venue to win a swag valued at around $250.
Entrants at these participating venues can take part in the ‘Win a Swag’ initiative simply by telling us their Plan B for getting home safely.
This year will see the most venues ever participating in ‘Win a Swag’.
The initiative started in 2016 with a handful of pubs in Gilgandra and Mudgee, and now extends right across the west region from Katoomba to Tibooburra.
Transport for NSW Regional Director West Alistair Lunn said the message was simple for people heading out to enjoy themselves during the festive season: always have a Plan B to get back home safely.
“Summer is a fantastic time of year in Australia and a time when we like to catch up with family, friends and work colleagues,” Mr Lunn said.
“But it’s also a time when some people may be tempted to try their luck behind the wheel after a few drinks, and there is no surer way to ruin a good time out.
“The message is clear: if you plan to drink, plan not to drive and have a Plan B. You might think you’re OK to get behind the wheel but even a few drinks can affect your driving, placing you and others on the road at risk.
“We want people to make planning their trip home as much a part of planning an afternoon or night out as choosing where you’re going or what you’re wearing.
“That might mean leaving the car at home and catching a cab or bus, choosing a designated driver, calling a mate for a lift or deciding to stay the night, but whatever your Plan B is, know it and stick to it – for your sake and the sake of every other road user.”
Statistics show the devastating impact of alcohol on the state’s road toll, with drink driving playing a part in 17 per cent of all fatal crashes in NSW from 2018 to 2022 and seven per cent of all serious crashes.
The impact is even greater in the bush, with a little over 50 per cent of all alcohol-related crashes between 2018 and 2022 occurring on country roads.
“The good news is we have seen a fall in the number of alcohol-related fatal crashes from 55 in 2019 to 35 in 2022, but there’s still a long way to go,” Mr Lunn said.
“We all have a role to play.”
The Transport for NSW Win A Swag initiative will run throughout December and January, in partnership with local councils across the state.
Terms and conditions are available at participating venues.