Slowing down in Australia
Slow down, or you’ll miss today’s Geo Quiz: We are looking for a tiny little town in southeast Australia. It’s located in the state of Victoria. Such a small town would not ordinarily appear on a world map but the Victoria Transport Accident Commission has an idea that’s attracting some global attention.
The commission has convinced the town to change its name for one month in order to raise awareness about road safety. So what is the name of the village we’re looking for?
It’s Speed — that’s right Speed — population: 45. But for the month of March, residents have agreed to rename their town “Speed Kills.”
They’ve even made a video about it:
And for added emphasis, one Speed resident has decided to change his own name. Local wheat and sheep farmer Phil Down will change his name to Phil “Slow Down” next month. Victoria road safety officials are hoping the campaign spreads globally. In fact, they’ve already identified several towns in the US called Speed. No word on whether those towns will also change their names.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.