Road safety will take centre stage at the launch of the North West Football League’s inaugural Road Safety Gala Day.
With a partnership that is now in its fifth year, the Road Safety Advisory Council (RSAC) and the NWFL are using the round to help deliver the powerful message that saving lives on Tasmania’s roads must be a team effort.
The Road Safety Week Gala Day will be held on Sunday, 18 May, at the conclusion of National Road Safety Week. The Gala Day has replaced the Road Safety Round from previous years and now includes all eight ‘Real Mates’ Colts teams: East Devonport, Burnie, Ulverstone, Devonport, Penguin, Circular Head, Wynyard, and Latrobe.
The Chair of the Road Safety Advisory Council says the new event will help spread the road safety message to young people in rural areas who are over-represented in crash statistics.
“The Road Safety Gala Day is a great opportunity to expand our relationship with the NWFL and reach even more young people with all eight Colts teams participating in the day,” said the Chair of the Road Safety Advisory Council, Scott Tilyard.
“On average, almost 80 young Tasmanians aged 25 and younger are seriously injured or killed on our roads every year, and it is young men aged between 17 and 25 years old who are significantly at risk of being killed or seriously injured in crashes where alcohol is a factor. It is so important we reach this vulnerable group and encourage everyone to take responsibility for keeping our roads safe,” said Mr Tilyard.
“This year is also an exciting opportunity to promote our new iteration of the ‘Real Mates Don’t Let Mates Drink Drive’ message, which encourages young men to follow the Bro Code and hold their mates accountable for drink driving,”
NWFL Competition Manager Morgan Hughes said the Road Safety Gala Day will see all eight teams unite for an important cause that goes beyond football.
“The Road Safety Gala Day is a powerful reminder that football and sport can be a platform for positive change.
“With all eight Colts teams coming together from along the Coast, we’re united in raising awareness about the importance of road safety, particularly among young people in our region. We’re proud to support a message that could help save lives,” said Mr Hughes.
All players will receive a road safety gift pack, including new Real Mates merchandise, and the best player from each game will receive free RACT driver training lessons. Players will also wear yellow socks for Sunday’s games, and goalposts will be wrapped in yellow to represent National Road Safety Week. The Road Safety Gala Day will be held at Dial Park in Penguin. The first game will begin at 9:30a.m., and the last game will begin at 3:00 p.m.