NTFL Driving Road Safety

Round 14 of the TIO NTFL season has been renamed the “Road Safety Round” to raise awareness amongst high risk drivers of the need to heed road safety advice.

Sponsored by TIO and supported by NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services, St John Ambulance and NT Road Safety, the NTFL Road Safety Day will bring together players, supporters and spectators to consider the issues of road safety.

 AFLNT CEO Tony Frawley said that the AFLNT is very supportive of this initiative and has encouraged all NTFL clubs to actively participate.

“The football community across the Top End have lost numerous members due to road accidents and AFLNT along with NTFL clubs fully support the efforts of TIO who have been long standing supporters of the NTFL for many years.”

Chief Executive Richard Harding said that TIO was dedicated to improving road safety in the Territory.

“Each year we see on average 50 people killed on NT roads and nearly 500 seriously injured requiring hospitalisation,” Mr Harding said.

“Drivers under 25 years are 3 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured, the cost of these young lives, along with the pain and anguish to friends and families, is significant.

“TIO’s sponsorship of the NTFL and in particular the Road Safety Round, is aimed at creating awareness and reinforcing the messages about road safety to a high risk, novice male drivers audience and the wider community.

“TIO asks young drivers to be aware of their choices and know the consequences,” he said.

Tiwi Bombers Captain Shane Tipuamantimirri who works with Indigenous youth at Tiwi College says it is shattering to see the effect of preventable car accident deaths.

“The impact is not only on the victim and his family but also the extended family and community,” he said.

 A high profile Tiwi role model due to his work with youth and football career, the Tiwi Bombers captain said, “I have work colleagues who, along with me, have lost close relations let alone friends and I cannot begin to state the agony and sadness these deaths and injuries bring.”

Shane Tipuamantimirri said the islanders, as in most remote areas, have to negotiate very poor road conditions for most of the year.

 “I can only beg everyone who drives to belt up.”

The NTFL Road Safety Day will target high risk drivers directly through fully integrated education and public awareness activities focussing on the risks of road safety and the choices and consequences all drivers face.

All under 18 teams have been scheduled to play at TIO Stadium on the day and will attend Road Safety Awareness sessions to discuss road safety and hear first hand from the organisations that deal with road trauma and its consequences.

Both teams in the Palmerston Magpies v Tiwi Bombers Premier League Game will wear the “seatbelt” customised Guernseys and the umpires will wear “Seatbelts save lives” shirts for all matches throughout the day.

While seatbelts are a significant causal and compounding factor in road crashes they are not the only factor, the Road Safety day will address the breadth of road safety messages.

A range of spectator Road Safety Awareness activities will be held at half time as well YouTube live streaming of the second premier games, road safety messages on the big screen, Hector the Cat, Emergency vehicle displays and TIO’s drink driving party safe program.

“This will be a big day of football, with a very big message,” TIO CEO Richard Harding said.