Posted on Thursday 18th July, 2024

LOCAL CLUBS BAND TOGETHER FOR ROAD SAFETY

Thousands of Victorians will become road safety ambassadors this weekend, as grassroots football and netball clubs take part in TAC Road Safety Round (July 19-21).

Road Safety Round, in its sixth year, will see Victoria’s regional and suburban clubs including those from the Western Football Netball League, don blue armbands to pay tribute to everyone killed or injured on the state’s roads, and ‘Band Together’ for road safety.

The campaign is the cornerstone of the TAC’s partnership with AFL Victoria and has developed into a key milestone of the regional and metropolitan football and netball leagues’ fixtures.

“We all have a role to play in creating a safer road network and working with local footy and netball clubs allows us to make real change and embed a culture of prioritising road safety,” Transport Accident Commission CEO Tracey Slatter said.

So far this year, 156 people have lost their lives on Victoria’s roads and 84 of those have been on regional roads, where footy and netball club members are covering thousands of kilometres for games and training every week.

This year, clubs are being asked to educate members about the dangers of speeding, encouraging their members to Show up for your team. Slow down on the road.

Head of AFL Victoria Greg Madigan said peer-to-peer conversations at local sporting clubs are vital in changing attitudes, creating a culture that values road safety and keeping everyone safe on Victoria’s roads.

“Road Safety Round has become an important milestone on the community footy calendar, sending a really clear message that we all need to play a role to keep ourselves and our wider communities safe when driving.”

AFL teams, including Essendon, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs, will also support Road Safety Round by wearing the blue armbands during training this week.

More information about Road Safety Round can be found HERE.