TAC and Taboo launch road safety platform ‘Vanessa’s Place’
TAC bring's "tiny home" to Victorian Gen Z
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has unveiled Vanessa’s Place, a new road safety platform aimed at engaging young road users, developed by Taboo.
The announcement:
Young people are over-represented in road fatalities, yet remain one of the hardest groups to reach through traditional messaging. The issue isn’t ignorance or apathy — young drivers know the rules. The challenge is whether those rules feel relevant in the moment.
Vanessa’s Place meets young Victorians where they are, without judgment.
Developed in partnership with creative agency TABOO, the initiative is a fully transportable weatherboard tiny home that blends behavioural insight with cultural understanding. The purpose-built space is designed to feel comforting, nostalgic and inviting — somewhere young people instinctively gravitate towards.
But once inside, the home reveals its real purpose.
Rather than delivering road safety as instruction, the house hides its authority in plain sight. More than 200 road safety cues, reminders and behavioural nudges are embedded throughout, disguised as everyday objects. The messages focus on key youth risk areas including drink and drug driving, distraction, speeding and fatigue, and are designed to be discovered rather than imposed.
Inside, toast arrives stamped with the message “DRINK DRIVE YOU’RE TOAST” — a literal, digestible cue. Bills, magnets and kitchenware reveal the real cost of breaking road rules, while a ringing landline delivers a ‘message from Vanessa’, guiding visitors through the space. Road safety facts and myth-busting prompts are woven into wallpaper, spice racks, mugs and vintage records. A cookbook acts as a hidden lever, opening the fridge door into a 90s-style lounge room.
TAC head of community Hannah Meredith said: “Choosing to be safe could mean planning a designated driver, organising a safe ride, separating drinking from driving, or making sure you’re rested before driving — all of which mean you and your mates get home, sweet home.”
Vanessa’s Place has already appeared on the festival circuit, including Beyond the Valley, Spilt Milk and Laneway Festival. It will continue to travel across Victoria, appearing at festivals, gigs and cultural events where young people gather.
The platform is supported by Instagram and TikTok channels, alongside an influencer program designed to extend the experience beyond the physical space.
By respecting young people’s intelligence and meeting them on their terms, Vanessa’s Place reframes road safety as something lived rather than lectured — contributing to youth culture while quietly shifting attitudes and sparking conversation.
